Years after being in a legal deadlock with Epic Games which claimed that Google’s stewardship of Play Store was anti-competitive, the companies are now thick as thieves, marking a dramatic turn in their relationship. This move effectively chips away the long-standing debate between the two companies on the former taking 30 per commission. It marks a major step in the company’s compliance with antitrust measures stemming from its dispute with Epic Games, which accused Google of maintaining an anti-competitive grip over the Android app marketplace.
Starting June 30, developers in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area will be allowed to bypass Google’s proprietary billing system and direct users to alternative checkout options or external websites for digital purchases.
Under the new system, commission will be split into two components: billing and service fees. The decision comes as a big win for small developers who will pay flat 10 percent service fee for the first $1 million in earnings every year. Above that, the rate for various transaction types may reach 25 percent on existing installs. Apps installed after June 30 will top out at 20 percent.
Google says they can design a choice screen “in accordance with our UX guidelines” to direct users to these external options. Devs pay the standard service fee on these purchases, but they’ll avoid the billing fee.
According to reports, June 30 was stipulated as the start date for initial markets, but Google now plans to go global. In the coming months Australia will join the new fee structure on September 30 while Japan and Korea will adopt the new system on the eve of new year 2027. All other regions will move to the new system on September 30, 2027.