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Google To Devs: Use Our Payment System Or Be Dropped

Posted by samzenpus on from the company-store dept.

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."

7 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. They should do that only when... by gaspyy · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  2. Re:Where voluntary isn't voluntary. by thegarbz · · Score: 5, Informative

    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 :-)

  3. Google Wallet vs PayPal by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've used both Google Wallet and I've used PayPal

    And I've used other online payment services

    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

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Informative

      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

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    2. Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal by thegarbz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      PayPal shut down an account of someone collecting donations from the Something Awful forums for the New Orleans flood victims. The result wasn't a simple misunderstanding. It was weeks of fight and frustrations which ended up with all money being refunded and none forwarded to the charity.

      To say PayPal is "rude" is to say someone who walks in and for no reason punches your kid is "rude". PayPal in my personal opinion ranks as one of the worst organisations on the planet.

    3. Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal by geekoid · · Score: 5, Informative

      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/

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  4. Some Clarifications by tangent3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    According to this article: http://www.i-programmer.info/news/81-web-general/3895-google-insists-on-google-wallet.html

    1. Developers outside the US are exempted
    2. Google Wallet charges a float 5%, Paypal charges $0.30 + 2.9%. Google Wallet is only more expensive if your app costs > $14.28. Considering the prices of most Android apps, I'd say calling Google Wallet "costlier" is a downright lie.