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Google has started a test of alternative payment systems in its Play store.
The move comes in response to growing pressure on app store operators to give developers options, as Epic Games sought in its dispute with Apple and the government of South Korea required with legislation. The EU’s Digital Markets Act also seeks to limit Big Tech’s gatekeeping powers and was designed to stop Google prioritizing its own goods and services over those of competitors.
The test, foreshadowed in March 2022 when Spotify’s Android app offered its own payment system alongside Google’s, will see the search giant offer developers the chance to offer users the chance to employ payment systems other than its own.
The trial covers digital content and services, such as in-app purchases and subscriptions.
