THE REGISTER - The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Google has promised to allow developers in the UK to use alternative payment options. Under the new UK proposals, if the CMA signs off on the commitments, instead of obliging devs to use Google Play's own billing system for in-app purchases, they will be able to offer a different payment system of their choosing, dubbed "Developer-only Billing." They may also offer users a choice between an alternative payment system and Google Play's billing system, known as "User Choice Billing" (UCB). Google started testing third-party payment systems' access to its Play Store in South Korea in March 2022, with Spotify being one of the pilot testers. By Nov 2021, Google expanded the app dev billing pilot to include the US, Brazil, and South Africa, with Bumble joining Spotify as one of the pilot testers. Google confirmed that in both the UK and EEA, alternative billing would bring a 3% reduction in fees. Critics have argued that this proposal will not create meaningful competition and is merely a reallocation of fees, but Google has stated that it appreciates the CMA's approach and will continue to listen to feedback.
by Jude Karabus
See full article at The Register
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