Overview
- Google published new Play Store rules that let developers offer alternative in‑app billing or link to external websites, with the changes taking effect June 30, 2026 in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Economic Area.
- The old single commission is replaced by a service fee that starts at 10% on the first $1 million in annual earnings and applies to auto‑renewing subscriptions, plus a separate billing fee of 5% for transactions processed through Google Play Billing in the initial markets.
- Transactions routed through developers’ own payment systems or external web links avoid the 5% Play Billing surcharge but still pay the service fee, and Google defines different service rates for users on new installs versus existing installs tied to each region’s launch date.
- Google will publish incentive rate cards for revamped Games Level Up and a new Apps Experience program on September 30, 2026, and will roll the whole framework to Australia on Sept. 30, Japan and Korea on Dec. 31, 2026, and the rest of the world by Sept. 30, 2027.
- The package implements terms from Google’s settlement with Epic Games after years of litigation, but Google retains control over developer verification, choice‑screen UX guidelines and phased certification for third‑party stores, and the changes could shift developer revenue, consumer protections, and payment innovation such as crypto integrations.