Google opens the Play Store to external billing in the US, UK, and Europe next week
9to5 Google 2026-06-25 01:20:00
Context: Google has announced that it will open up the Play Store to external payments starting June 30 in the US, UK, and Europe, marking a significant change to its billing rules following a years-long legal dispute with Epic Games. This move will allow Android developers to use external billing alongside Play Store distribution, and will see Google introduce lower fees for developers. The changes are set to take effect in major markets including the US, UK, and European Economic Area.
Key Facts
- Google will open up the Play Store to external payments starting June 30 in the US, UK, and Europe, allowing developers to use external billing alongside Play Store distribution.
- The new policy sees developers paying a 10% fee on their first $1,000,000 in annual earnings, regardless of the billing method used, which is down from the standard 30% cut that was in place previously.
- For transactions that use Google Play's billing system, an additional 5% billing fee will apply in the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Economic Area.
- The service fee will vary for transactions processed via alternative billing or external web links, and will be determined by whether the transacting user's install is new or existing relative to the regional rollout date.
- Developers who qualify for Google's "Level Up" or "Apps Experience" programs will see fees drop, with these programs set to take effect later in September.