Google’s Play Store Billing Choice program is scheduled to launch on June 30, 2026, for all developers selling apps and services in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The program will allow developers to offer third-party payment options through Google Play Billing and restructure developer fees into separate service and billing components.
This change is in line with commitments made by Google as part of its agreement with Epic Games. Developers will then be able to offer alternative billing options or direct users to their website to complete a purchase.
What will change on June 30 and how will the new fee structure work?
The Billing Choice program introduces three major changes:
Developers now have the option to use third-party billing systems alongside or instead of Google Play billing. They can also create any screen they like as long as they follow Google’s UX guidelines.
Additionally, the fee structure is now divided into a service fee and a separate billing fee. The Choice screen allows users to choose between Google Play billing and an alternative billing system provided by the developer at the time of purchase.
Google is splitting the developer fee for transactions in the US, UK and EEA into two parts, the service fee:
- 10% on the first $1 million of annual revenue, regardless of billing system used –
- 20% on new installs and 25% on existing installs if revenue exceeds $1 million –
- 15% on other transactions after crossing $1 million in revenue for apps in the Games Level Up and Apps Experience program
Billing Fee:
- An additional 5% fee applies if developers use Google Play billing.
- Third-party billing does not incur this fee, but developers will pay a processing fee to their payment providers.
This update means that small developers earning less than $1 million annually will have to pay a 10% service fee on Google Play transactions, in addition to any applicable billing fees. Earlier, the service charge was 15%.
Games Level Up and Apps Experience Program
Two new developer programs are launching in September 2026 that offer lower fees. The first Games Level Up is for qualifying gaming apps, while the second, Apps Experience, is for qualifying non-gaming apps.
Developers in either program will pay a 15% service fee instead of the standard 20% to 25% on transactions exceeding the $1 million annual revenue threshold. Google has not yet provided detailed eligibility criteria for these programs.
Regional rollout timeline and what it means for users
The Billing Choice program will be gradually rolled out in more areas over time:
- June 30, 2026: European Economic Area, United Kingdom, United States
- September 30, 2026: Australia
- December 31, 2026: Japan and South Korea
- September 30, 2027: Rest of the World
The phased expansion takes into account different regulations and legal considerations in each region. The initial launch is focused on markets where Google faces the most significant antitrust investigations.
For app users, the immediate change will be the appearance of a favorites screen during shopping in supported regions. Users will be able to:
- Choose Google Play billing as before
- Choose a developer’s alternative billing system, which often offers different payment methods or lower prices passed by developers
- In some cases, be redirected to the developer’s website to complete the purchase
This change does not affect Google’s existing refund policies through Google Play. However, refunds for purchases made through third-party billing systems will be handled by the developer or payment processor rather than Google.
The Billing Choice program is part of the agreement that was reached with Epic Games after a lengthy antitrust case related to Google Play’s billing rules.
The agreement also led to sweeping changes to Google’s App Store policies. Meanwhile, Apple has introduced similar third-party billing options in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, though with tighter restrictions that are attracting ongoing regulatory scrutiny.
Developers preparing for the June 30 launch can now begin creating preferred screens and integrating third-party payment systems. Google’s developer documentation provides details on how to implement the new billing options.
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