Google Lets Match Use 3rd-Party Billing Methods

Google has allegedly reached a temporary, until-the-trial-is-over deal with Match Group, allowing the matchmaker app parent company to be temporarily present on the Google Play Store while staying open to an array of 3rd-party billing methods. For more details on the topic, keep reading this post.

Google Play has been long slammed by a multitude of Android’s top app devs for its in-app billing clampdown. A few weeks back, Match Group even filed a court complaint against the tech giant for abusing its potent monopoly position and grabbing a hefty chunk of the devs’ revenue for staying on Google’s digital storefront for Android applications.

The thing is, Google has implemented a long-term Play Store obligation according to which the tech giant aggressively forces app devs to utilize its in-house billing system only and then grabs a more than 20% cut on any in-app transaction. Naturally, app devs were not inspired by this attempt to manipulate markets and abuse power.

In its legal fight with Google, Match demands that the tech giant doesn’t ban or delete its applications from the official store for being open to 3rd-party billing solutions. In return, the dev company is ready to present Google’s billing solution as one of its in-app offerings. Some time later, the two businesses reached a deal allowing Match Group the freedom to use 3rd-party payment methods without being banned on Google, but only until the lawsuit is over. 

As a matter of fact, Match is not the only top app dev company involved in a legal conflict with Google for the same market-cornering reasons. Bandcamp, a well-known online music community owned by Epic Games, is among them, too. The date for the trial is currently set for April 2023. Let’s wait and see what it will result in. Have anything to add on the topic? Speak up in the comments below. Your opinion is very much appreciated here.