Google cuts Play Store fees as Epic settlement reshapes Android app payments
Google cuts Play Store fees as Epic settlement reshapes Android app payments
Publish Date: 2026-03-05 08:33:00
Source Domain: www.notebookcheck.net
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Google Play’s logo, as Google updates Play Store fees and payment rules for Android developers.
Google is lowering Play Store fees and allowing alternative billing and third-party Android app stores after its antitrust dispute with Epic Games.
Google is moving away from the old “up to 30%” Play Store commission model, with reporting indicating most fees will fall into a 10%–20% range under a new structure tied to purchase type and billing approach.
The changes are linked to Google’s proposed settlement with Epic Games, which still requires court approval.
Official docs now spell out fees for off-Play payments and external links
Google’s own Play Console Help pages already outline the fee levels developers will pay for programs that route users to external payment methods or external content links.
For the External Payments program, Google says fees on qualifying external transactions will be 10% for auto-renewing subscriptions and 20% for other in-app digital content, with 10% applying to transactions within the first $1M (USD) of annual developer earnings for eligible developers.
For the External content links program, Google lists the same 10% subscription / 20% other structure (with the first $1M at 10% for eligible developers) and also adds an “app download event” fee per install within 24 hours of the click: $2.85 for apps and $3.65 for games.
Alternative billing and third-party stores get easier — and that’s the real story
Beyond “lower fees,” the bigger structural change is Android opening up around billing and distribution.
Google’s developer documentation and policies already recognize that sales can occur through Google Play Billing or approved alternatives (under its payments rules), which is the foundation for broader “choice” remedies and settlement terms.
Reporting also says Google plans a “Registered App Stores” approach that reduces friction for installing rival Android app…
