As part of compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google Play is getting an opt-in “external offers” program for Android apps and games on phones, tablets, Wear OS, ChromeOS and Android TV.
External offers are how developers of apps distributed by Google Play “lead users in the European Economic Area (EEA) outside of the app, including promoting offers for digital features and services within the app.”
This includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland , Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, although “developers from other regions can opt-in to the EEA targeting program outside the Play app.”
There is a list of requirements that developers must adhere to, and there is a new fee structure.
there is a Initial acquisition fee of “5% for auto-renewing subscriptions and 10% for other offers of digital features and in-app services” during the first two years. This should reflect “value [Google] is provided to facilitate initial user acquisition through Play.”
Then there is Fee for current services for using Google Play services: “7% for auto-renewing subscriptions and 17% for other offers of digital features and in-app services.” Apps can stop using Play Services after two years:
After the initial two-year vesting period, a developer may choose to terminate the ongoing Play services for a particular application. Since users acquired the app through Play expecting services such as parental controls, security scanning, fraud prevention and continuous app updates, termination of services also requires user consent. After that, the current services and associated fees will no longer apply to those users. Developers remain responsible for reporting transactions involving users who choose to continue receiving ongoing services from Play.
Google explains the fees as follows:
Play fees support our investment in Android and Google Play and reflect the value that Android and Play deliver, including enabling free distribution of Android and providing an ever-growing set of tools and services that help developers build successful businesses, all while keeping our platforms safe and secure for billions users worldwide.
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