Google To Devs: Use Our Payment System Or Be Dropped

Meshach writes "Google has been pressuring applications and mobile game developers to use its costlier in-house payment service, Google Wallet for quite some time. Now Google warned several developers in recent months that if they continued to use other payment methods — such as PayPal, Zong and Boku — their apps would be removed from Google Play. The move is seen as a way to cut costs for Google by using their own system."

Comments

They should do that only when...

[gaspyy]

They should do that only when Wallet is available in all countries. Google Wallet is not available in my country, I cannot receive payments so I HAVE TO rely on Paypal for this.

My app is available on Apple's AppStore, Blackberry's AppWorld, Amazon, Intel AppUp and Samsung's store and they all can send payments. It's just Google who doesn't. Even stranger is that they DO make payments to my country in the AdSense program, I just don't understand why they don't do this for apps on the Chrome Webstore or Google Play.

Re:Where voluntary isn't voluntary.

[thegarbz]

False. You're cut off from no-one.

I have yet to see an Android phone (in my country anyway) which doesn't feature a simple checkbox that allows you to install apps that didn't come from the market.
I have seen several Android phones out of the box which feature more than one market installed on the system (though admittedly they somewhat suck).
I have seen several alternative markets (Amazon included here) which are incredibly capable as almost a complete replacement of the Google Market, or Play or whatever they've changed it to.

Admittedly practicality here may be the key argument, but hey you are going to a 3rd party to host, advertise, collect feedback, and manage updates for your apps it's not such a hard rule to abide by.

Also as someone who vehemently hates PayPal, anything that works against it gets the thumbs up from me :-)

Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal

[Taco Cowboy]

I find Google Wallet a little bit more "friendly" to the user. PayPal, which I've used for years and years, has become more and more, how should I say - arrogant

Yes--arrogant in exactly the same way as Google is being right now

First of all, let me state it here that I do not work for Google

In the case that we are talking about, Google is basically telling the devs that if they want to remain listed on Google Play they should at least accept Google Wallet as one of the payment options

While I do find it kinda arrogant, I do understand where Google is coming from - after all, Google, being the host, ought to have a chance to get something out of hosting all those apps

In other words, Google's arrogance is still within the acceptable range

On the other hand, PayPal has, on more than one occasion, being extremely arrogant, to the extent to being, shall I say, rude

There have been cases where PayPal shuts down accounts of entities that they do not agree with

If those entities engaged in illegal activities, such as supporting terrorist organizations, or selling cocaine to the minor, then I would have no qualm for PayPal shutting down their accounts

But there are other cases where PayPal shutting down the accounts belong to groups which do not see eye to eye with the government of America - such as WikiLeaks

I am not saying that WikiLeaks is an angle or something - but PayPal's shut down of WikiLeaks account mean that they are not allowing PayPal users like me to contribute ***OUR OWN MONEY*** to organizations that we think are doing a good job

That, my friend, is TRUE arrogance

Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal

[geekoid]

Sorry. but this is the internet. If there is just 1 thing we should have learned is that you can't trust single sources.
I would like to see that email telling them to ""They told people that if they used other payment services they would be breaking the terms of use,""

So, grain of salt.
Oh wait, here is some clarification:
http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/09/google-wallet-android-in-app-payments/