Google to Lower Fees for Korean App Developers to 10%... Alternative Payments Now Allowed

Apps with Annual Revenue up to $1 Million, Commission Set at 10%

Implementation Scheduled for December 31

"Early Launch Possible"

Google will lower the commission fees it has charged developers on Google Play, the app market for the Android operating system (OS), to a minimum of 10% of payment revenues.

On August 11, Google Korea announced, through a Q&A-style blog post with Kara Bailey, Vice President for Android Ecosystem, that a "Choice of Billing Program" with lower commission rates for app developers will be introduced from December 31.

Google will reduce the commission fees charged to developers on Google Play, the app market of the Android operating system (OS), to a minimum level of 10 percent. Google Korea

Regardless of which payment system users choose, app developers on Google Play will pay a basic commission rate of 10% on annual revenue up to 1 million US dollars (approximately 1.4 billion won). Previously, a flat commission rate of 30% had been applied.

However, for annual in-app payment revenue exceeding 1 million dollars, the commission rate can rise to a maximum of 25%. For existing installed apps, the fee rate on revenue exceeding 1 million dollars goes up to 25%, but if transactions are made through external web links, the rate decreases to 20%.

Additionally, apps eligible to participate in Google's "Game Level Up Program" or the new "App Experience Program" will have their commission rates adjusted to between 15% and 20%. For products with automatic renewal or recurring payments, the commission rate remains at 10%.

Google plans to implement this policy in Korea from the end of the year, but also indicated that early implementation is possible through consultation with the government, as was done in Japan. Vice President Bailey emphasized, "We are confident that our currently operating programs comply with Korean regulations," and added, "The latest revised plan will provide more choices and lower commission fees, further strengthening our support for Korean developers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.