
Android Market rule prohibits use of third-party in-app payment services - GreekOphion
http://www.arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2012/03/new-android-market-rule-prohibits-apps-that-use-third-party-in-app-payment-services.ars
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fpgeek
The rule is not new. Everyone claiming (or suggesting) that this rule is new
is being lazy and sloppy (at best).

Here's a copy of the Android developer agreement from 2008:

[http://web.archive.org/web/20081219010834/http://www.android...](http://web.archive.org/web/20081219010834/http://www.android.com/us/developer-
distribution-agreement.html)

Take a look at the definition of "Payment Processor" and section 3.3. That's
the same rule we're talking about today. The effort put into enforcement may
have changed, but the rule itself hasn't.

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kamjam
That's a good find.

The cynical side of me however thinks that this may have been Google's plan
all along - get a big enough user base and then enforce the rule. It's a good
way to recoup some money for the cost of developing the Android OS.

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fpgeek
Not really. IIRC, they pay all of the "Payment Processor" money beyond their
costs back to the carriers (though I'm not sure what happens with WiFi-only
devices). I suspect, but can't prove that they're acting out of ecosystem
concerns like uniformity and conversion rates. Even now, the enforcement is
pretty lax. I've been looking at some random apps and it surprised me how many
asked for off-market donations and the like. Perhaps donations that don't
unlock features fall under the same exception that permits third-party payment
for physical goods and digital goods [i.e. music or ebooks] (what I've thought
of as the Amazon exception).

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zrgiu_
ok, I understand that they want to streamline the payments process, but what
about those that Google didn't yet embrace into their "accepted sellers"
exclusive club ? I am from Romania, and citizens of my country, as many
others, cannot sell apps on the Android Market, Google's motivation being
"legal complications". How come Apple found a way where Google can't ?

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2muchcoffeeman
Remember that Apple has been at this since the beginning of the iTunes Music
Store. They have a massive head start. You can always sell on a different
market place.

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zrgiu_
it's still been 3.5 years since the Android Market went live for the first
time. It's certainly enough time for any decent company (not to mention
Google) to handle these kinds of things.

Edit: google has Google Adsense, which can send payments to pretty much
anywhere in the world

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Revisor
Is Google heading the dreaded Microsoft naming way?

Google Play Store. Windows Live Search, eh I mean Windows Live Search Center.
Games For Windows? Surely you mean Games for Windows - Live. Or Xbox
Marketplace?

Also Google Wallet is unavailable in many countries as others have noted.

Oh well, I was hoping that someone would give Apple a run for money.

