Google began rolling out lower Play Store fees and external payment options agreed in its Epic Games settlement, starting June 30 for developers in Europe, the UK, and the US. The new structure splits commissions into billing and service fees, with the biggest win a flat 10% service fee on the first $1M a developer earns each year, rising to as much as 25% above that, while apps installed after June 30 top out at 20%. Developers can finally send users outside the Play Store to complete purchases through a Google-approved choice screen, avoiding the billing fee while still paying the service fee, with a separate 5% billing fee applied to transactions run through Google's platform. The changes expand to Australia in September and Japan and Korea by year-end, with a global rollout set for 2027, though Google stays firmly in control of the Android ecosystem.
