App Store In-App Billing Controversy
Last month I bought a link shortening website and a week ago I released Android app with webview on Play Store. I was following Basecamp's Hey billing controversy closely and it made me little tensed because I don't want to use Google's In-app billing service.
I searched rules and restrictions about In-app billing and the more I read, the more I got confused.
My service is currently free but what I'm planning to do right now is charging my customer using PayPal and Stripe on site. Inside android app same webview version billing page opens instead of Google In-app billing.
Is it safe to do this or against Google In-app policy? Let me know if there is proper way to avoid Google's payment method for android app.
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I think the safest solution is to mention and process the payment only via website.
You should guide the user to look for an email, for example, mentioning it as a "next step", or "confirmation".
I've used an approach a while ago (with a physicial product, though) to open the check-out page in user's device browser (opening it programatically from the app), and it passed both on Google Play and App Store analysis.
The webpage version of upgrade plan or subscription page which opens on pc version, same page open within the app too. Is it safe or should I force users to open that page on browser?
I think that opening it on a browser will be safer.
Even better if the app not mention that a payment will be conducted there.. I remember reading that "mentions to external payments" are a problem.. It was on Basecamp's "Hey" story, if I remember correctly!
App store is quite strict about In-app billing method. But Play store is quite confusing, they never tell exactly what their rule. But I see many apps which are using 3rd party payment method.
I don't think that's allowed, I remember that even Spotify had problems with this.
How can I charge payment through app? What should be solution according to you?
If you have an app on AppStore or PlayStore you have to use their in-app payments (so they get their cut).
I just checked Spotify is opening website page to purchase plan in their Android app.
Don't do it. I had the same thing and my app was banned.
I had to remove the external methods of payment from inside the app to get it back on the store. Here's what I did instead:
I'm getting more users organically from Play store as compared to directly through other sources. Within a week I got 200 installs without any Ad or promotion. So ignoring Play Store will be a big mistake. I saw Bumble and Tinder using their own Credit Card Payment Method but also giving Google In-app payment option. But at the same time Amazon Prime Netflix and Spotify using only their own Credit Card Payment Method. Quite random and confusing.
I think if you're on Apple store then you have to give in-app billing option.
It's safe to say that the AppStore is a very cool and convenient app store, which, of course, is worth using in everyday life. There you can find a lot of interesting things for yourself. So I recently discovered sound to get water out of phone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clear-wave/id1557211189 , it really helps me a lot.