Google dropped one of the biggest policy changes in Play Store history this month. New fee tiers, alternative billing options, a registered app store program, and a restructured commission model that cuts the standard rate from 30% to 20% for new installs.
If you ship on Android — or you've been considering it — this changes the math on your business. Here's what actually matters, what's noise, and what you should do about it.
The backstory: why this is happening now#
This overhaul is the direct result of the Epic Games v. Google settlement. After years of litigation that started with Fortnite's removal from the Play Store in 2020, Google and Epic reached a resolution that forces real structural changes to how the Play Store operates.
Unlike Apple's incremental adjustments (small business programs, regional concessions), Google is making sweeping changes across billing, fees, and third-party distribution. Whether this was voluntary or court-mandated is beside the point — the new rules are real, and they affect every Android developer.
The new fee structure, explained#
Here's the practical breakdown of what you'll pay Google starting June 30, 2026 (for the US, UK, and EEA — other regions follow later):
Standard service fees:
The baseline commission for in-app purchases on new installs drops to 20%, down from 30%. For transactions from existing installs with participating developers, the rate is also 20%. If you join one of Google's incentive programs, new install transactions can go as low as 15%.
On top of the service fee, if a user pays through Google Play Billing, there's a separate 5% billing fee for the payment processing itself. This is new — Google previously bundled billing into the commission, so the separation is important to understand.
What "participating developer" means:
Google has introduced two opt-in programs — the Apps Experience Program and the revamped Games Level Up Program — that unlock the lower 15% tier on new install revenue. The requirements aren't fully detailed yet, but they involve commitments around app quality, user experience standards, and engagement with Google's ecosystem tools.
Alternative billing is now real#
This is the change with the most long-term impact. Developers can now offer their own billing system alongside Google Play Billing within their app, or direct users to their website to complete purchases.
Previously, this kind of setup would get your app pulled. Now it's an official, supported option.
There are trade-offs. If you use your own billing system, you still owe Google a reduced service fee (the exact rate depends on your region and program participation). You also take on the complexity of managing payments, refunds, fraud, tax compliance, and subscription lifecycle yourself — things Google Play Billing handles for you out of the box.
For most indie developers and small teams, sticking with Google Play Billing at the new lower rates is probably the right call. The 20% commission plus 5% billing fee (25% total) is meaningfully lower than the old 30%, and you avoid the operational overhead of running your own payment stack.
For larger apps with high transaction volume, running your own billing to save on the per-transaction delta could be worth it. But do the math on support costs and churn before you commit.
Registered app stores: what it means for distribution#
Google's new Registered App Stores program creates an official, streamlined path for third-party app stores on Android. App stores that meet Google's quality and safety benchmarks can register with Google, which gives their users a simplified sideloading flow — fewer scary warning dialogs, fewer taps to install.
For most developers, this doesn't change your day-to-day. You're still going to publish on Google Play because that's where the users are. But it does signal a structural shift in how Android distribution works. If alternative stores gain traction (and the Epic Games Store on Android is clearly part of this story), you may eventually want to publish to multiple Android storefronts.
Developer verification is getting stricter#
Alongside the fee changes, Google announced updates to its developer verification process. New developers will face more identity checks, and there's an "advanced flow" for power users who sideload apps from unverified sources.
This is Google's way of balancing openness with safety — making it easier to install apps from anywhere while ensuring bad actors can't abuse the system. For legitimate developers, the verification process shouldn't be a barrier, but it does mean your Google Play Developer account needs to be in good standing.
What you should actually do#
If you're a solo developer or small team:
The new 20% rate is a meaningful improvement. Stick with Google Play Billing, update your financial projections, and focus on what actually moves revenue — your store listing, your conversion funnel, your retention.
If you're mid-size with significant Android revenue:
Evaluate the incentive programs (Apps Experience Program or Games Level Up). The 15% tier on new installs could be material. Run the numbers on alternative billing, but don't underestimate the operational cost.
If you're publishing cross-platform:
This is where complexity compounds. Apple and Google now have meaningfully different fee structures, different billing rules, different compliance requirements, and different metadata formats. Managing two (or more) store presences manually is increasingly untenable.
Stora was built for exactly this situation. Connect your repo, and Stora handles screenshots, metadata, compliance checks, and submission for both the App Store and Google Play — from a single pipeline. When the rules change (and they clearly will keep changing), your publishing workflow doesn't break.
The bigger picture#
Between Apple's new metrics rollout, the promo-code-to-offer-code migration, and now Google's fee overhaul, March 2026 has been one of the most consequential months for mobile developers in years. The common thread: both platforms are being forced to compete for developers in ways they never had to before.
That's good for you. Lower fees, more billing options, better data. The cost is complexity — more policies to track, more configurations to manage, more ways to get your submission rejected if something's misconfigured.
The developers who win in this environment aren't the ones who manually track every policy change across two platforms. They're the ones who automate the parts that can be automated and focus their energy on building the actual product.
Stora handles App Store and Google Play submission from a single pipeline — screenshots, metadata, compliance, and publishing. Get started free at stora.sh.