Purchase Google PlayBooks on iOS skirts with App Store fees

Google has obtained permission to sell e-books and audiobooks directly to customers through its iOS app, Google Play Books. Today’s iOS apps can provide access to content purchased elsewhere previously purchased, such as e-books purchased on websites, but developers can turn iOS app users to their company’s websites. You must request a specific exception to link and purchase.

According to a simple post Google’s Blogusers can click on the new “Get Book” button in the Google Play Books iOS app and go to the Google Play website to complete their e-book or audiobook purchases.

From there, users can look at a list of recently opened books and complete their purchases using their Google account and saved payment information.

By processing transactions on its own website, Google can avoid paying Apple A’s fees (typically 30%) for in-app purchases of digital content.

Additionally, iOS app users can share books with family groups in the Family Library on Google Play, whether their families use iOS, Android, or the web as a reading or listening device.

To enable this change, Google appears to have been applied to an exception called external link account qualifications. Apple’s settlement with Japanese regulators; Japan Fair Trade Committee (JFTC) in 2022.

This rule focuses on “leader apps.” This means that it is primarily designed to allow access to some kind of digital content, such as magazines, books, audio, music, videos, etc. To use the qualification, it must be requested by the developer Additional approvals Follow other rules from Apple regarding how your website will appear when an external link is clicked, how the link will be formatted, how it will be referenced in your app’s code, and more.

It also specifies that users should see a fullscreen announcement warning that they are not trading Apple after clicking on the external link.

Netflix was one of the first to adopt the new rules in 2022. Website.

Google didn’t explain why it decided to offer a direct purchase, but it could have been awaiting the outcome of a lawsuit between Fortnite Maker Epic Games and Apple.

The case ultimately discovered that Apple is not the monopoly, but confirmed that if Apple chose it, Apple developers should be able to link to their website. The Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal In January 2024, he was asked to make an original judgment from a lower court.