Google Play Billing Choice Program Launches June 30 With Lower Fees

Google’s Play Store Billing Choice program is set 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 will reorganize developer fees into separate service and billing components.

This change follows through on commitments Google made as part of its settlement with Epic Games. Developers will be able to provide alternative billing options or direct users to their own websites to complete purchases.

What Changes on June 30 and How the New Fee Structure Works

The Billing Choice program introduces three key changes:

Developers now have the option to use third-party billing systems alongside or instead of Google Play billing. They can also create their own choice screens, 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. Choice screens allow users to select between Google Play billing and an alternative billing system provided by the developer at the moment of purchase.

Google is splitting developer fees into two parts for transactions in the US, UK, and EEA.

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 once revenue exceeds $1 million
• 15% on other transactions after crossing $1 million in revenue for apps in the Games Level Up and Apps Experience programs

Billing fee:

• An additional 5% charge applies if developers use Google Play billing.
• Third-party billing does not incur this fee, but developers will pay processing fees to their payment providers.

This update means that smaller developers earning less than $1 million annually will pay a 10% service fee on Google Play transactions, in addition to any applicable billing fees. Previously, the service fee was 15%.

Games Level Up and Apps Experience Programs

Two new developer programs are launching in September 2026 that offer reduced 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 on transactions that exceed the $1 million annual revenue threshold, instead of the standard 20% to 25%. Google has not yet provided detailed qualification criteria for these programs.

Regional Rollout Timeline and What This Means for Users

The Billing Choice program will be rolled out gradually to more regions 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 accounts for different regulations and legal considerations in each region. The initial launch focuses on markets where Google faces the most significant antitrust scrutiny.

For app users, the immediate change will be the appearance of choice screens during purchases in supported regions. Users will be able to:

• Select Google Play billing as before
• Choose a developer’s alternative billing system, which often offers different payment methods or lower prices passed on by developers
• In some cases, be redirected to a developer’s website to complete a purchase

The 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 settlement Google reached with Epic Games after a lengthy antitrust case related to Google Play’s billing rules. This settlement also led to broader changes in Google’s app store policies. Meanwhile, Apple has introduced similar third-party billing options in the EU under the Digital Markets Act, though with stricter restrictions that have attracted ongoing regulatory scrutiny.

Developers preparing for the June 30 launch can start building choice screens and integrating third-party payment systems now. Google’s developer documentation offers details on how to implement the new billing options.