Last year, we began exploring expanded billing options on Google Play with our user choice billing pilot, which allows eligible developers to offer an additional billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system for their users in select markets. This pilot allows us to gather insights from developers and users on complexities involved in supporting user choice billing in markets across the world.
As our pilot continues to expand and evolve, we’ve begun offering developers several programs to enable an alternative billing system and put the choice in the hands of the users. Each program has specific eligibility criteria based on regional requirements. The below provides a guide to determine which program(s) you may enroll in based on the location you want to offer user choice billing.
Illustrative example of the user experience for user choice billing
Explore our user choice billing program(s)
Explore the programs below, which vary based on regional availability and requirements. You may enroll your app in more than one program. If a region has multiple program options, your app can only be enrolled in one program per region at a time. Your app may switch between programs if needed.
What to expect when onboarding
Onboarding to any of the user choice billing programs requires you to agree to the Terms of Service for the applicable program(s) and provide relevant information to complete your onboarding. More detail is provided below.
Step 1: Review the requirements
Review the requirements for each program on the relevant program page to determine if your app(s) meets the eligibility criteria.
Step 2: Complete onboarding steps on Play Console
Open Play Console, go to the Alternative billing page (Settings > Alternative billing) and follow any onboarding steps required to enroll in the applicable program(s) (for example, accept the applicable Terms of Service and set up a payment profile as required).
Step 3: Onboarding completion and program participation
Once you've completed all applicable enrollment steps, you will receive an email from Google Play confirming that your onboarding is complete. This email will also contain instructions on how to implement the APIs and abide by program requirements.
Alternative billing API migration deadline
Alternative billing APIs are required for offering an alternative billing system to users in any eligible market by the migration deadline ("Manual Sunset Date"). To get started, follow the program page to learn more about integrating with alternative billing APIs and migration requirements.
| User choice billing for users in: | APIs available | Manual Sunset Date |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | April 6, 2023 | August 2, 2023 |
| India | November 14, 2023 | TBA |
| European Economic Area, AU, BR, ID, JP, ZA, US | November 14, 2023 | March 13, 2024 |
| Alternative billing only (i.e. without user choice) for users in: |
APIs available | Manual Sunset Date |
|---|---|---|
| European Economic Area | November 14, 2023 | March 13, 2024 |