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Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

android-developers.googleblog.com

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Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#31

Post by dcchambers »

weyland108 wrote: post #26
dcchambers wrote: post #22

I think people are focused on the wrong issue. The fee % is not the problem. The problem is the restriction against using other types of payment processors. I am 100% OK with Google, Apple, or whoever charging whatever price they want to charge for using their app store services. They are, after all, providing all of the infrastucture for software delivery, updates, payments, etc. Not to mention giving you access to…

As a iOS user I feel safer that all payments go through apple. I am assured of certain level of privacy and security which is very comforting.

I think the solution is for Apple to require that all payments at least have the option of being made through the app store payment system, while allowing developers that want to take the time and effort to set up outside payments do that as well.

Consumers can continue to use app-store payments if they wish (and I bet the vast majority would), but developers and companies can no longer complain about Apple's monopoly over payment processing.

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#32

Post by [deleted] »

hutzlibu wrote: post #19
echelon wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> review is absolutely necessary Wholeheartedly disagree. I download software on Linux and Mac frequently without ever having it reviewed. I buy physical products that have sensors. These don't get scrutinized. If we truly need a "health inspector", then it should be a third party. Not the mafia that makes the device and frequently launches competing apps and features. And it seems totally uneven that websites can ac…

But you know, that you can also just download and install software on Android? But yes, this requires knowledge of what you are doing. So most people rightfully choose the playstore - and maintaining (and curating) the playstore requires work. So I also think it is fair, if google gets a cut. But 30% and also 15% is just cutthroat price range.

[deleted]

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#33

Post by [deleted] »

sofixa wrote: post #10
echelon wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Credit card transactions take far less, and they deal in legitimate risk (chargebacks, stolen cards, fraud, etc). As developers, we don't even need app stores. They're an artifice that got shoved down our throat by trillion dollar mega corporations. A taxation clearinghouse. You can distribute the same program bytes from anywhere, most notably the web. It's Steve Ballmer's old dream of taxing all software. There's ju…

As a consumer, i want app stores. It's million times better than the default Windows situation downloading random binaries off the Internet. Code signing and malware signature matching are at best bandaids on a waterfall. Having a centralised place with reviews categories, updates etc. is very valuable.

[deleted]

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#34

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

anxrn wrote: post #24
dcchambers wrote: post #22

I think people are focused on the wrong issue. The fee % is not the problem. The problem is the restriction against using other types of payment processors. I am 100% OK with Google, Apple, or whoever charging whatever price they want to charge for using their app store services. They are, after all, providing all of the infrastucture for software delivery, updates, payments, etc. Not to mention giving you access to…

Reminder that Jobs initially did not support having an app store at all for the original iPhone, IIRC for reasons of maintaining the bar on experience. His proposal was to build "apps" for use in Safari. https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/07/10/the-revolution-st...

That was because their iOS API wasn't ready for public consumption. Web apps were a stopgap so they had something to ship.

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#35

Post by heavyset_go »

More evidence of price fixing[1] from Apple and Google's mobile app distribution and payments cartel.

If there was real competition in the mobile app distribution and payments markets, and not just Google and Apple working in tandem to protect their profits, then consumers would benefit from increased efficiency and lower costs when it comes to how they get and pay for apps.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_fixing

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#36

Post by kfprt »

joenathanone wrote: post #7
concinds wrote: post #3

I don't see the point. Spotify's not willing to give up 10% of their Android revenue, they'll still use their own payment. Epic won't give up 15%. South Korea mandated that apps be allowed to have custom payment methods within apps. Why would any big company, whether Netflix, Epic or Spotify, still give Android 10%? It just seems that the "app store pay toll" is getting less and less justifiable; and it seems outrage…

Agreed, personally I think 3-5% would be fair anything more is rent seeking.

The percentage should be set by the market. The problem is that there exists a rent seeking monopoly at present.

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#37

Post by notsrg »

dcchambers wrote: post #31
weyland108 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a iOS user I feel safer that all payments go through apple. I am assured of certain level of privacy and security which is very comforting.

I think the solution is for Apple to require that all payments at least have the option of being made through the app store payment system, while allowing developers that want to take the time and effort to set up outside payments do that as well. Consumers can continue to use app-store payments if they wish (and I bet the vast majority would), but developers and companies can no longer complain about Apple's monopol…

The problem with this is that using Apple Pay would be more expensive and so why would anyone use it?

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#38

Post by [deleted] »

dcchambers wrote: post #22

I think people are focused on the wrong issue. The fee % is not the problem. The problem is the restriction against using other types of payment processors. I am 100% OK with Google, Apple, or whoever charging whatever price they want to charge for using their app store services. They are, after all, providing all of the infrastucture for software delivery, updates, payments, etc. Not to mention giving you access to…

[deleted]

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#39

Post by vanattab »

dcchambers wrote: post #31
weyland108 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a iOS user I feel safer that all payments go through apple. I am assured of certain level of privacy and security which is very comforting.

I think the solution is for Apple to require that all payments at least have the option of being made through the app store payment system, while allowing developers that want to take the time and effort to set up outside payments do that as well. Consumers can continue to use app-store payments if they wish (and I bet the vast majority would), but developers and companies can no longer complain about Apple's monopol…

Are you sure they wouldn't considering it would be 15%-20% cheaper?

Re: Decreasing service fees on subscriptions to 15%

#40

Post by ls15 »

weyland108 wrote: post #26
dcchambers wrote: post #22

I think people are focused on the wrong issue. The fee % is not the problem. The problem is the restriction against using other types of payment processors. I am 100% OK with Google, Apple, or whoever charging whatever price they want to charge for using their app store services. They are, after all, providing all of the infrastucture for software delivery, updates, payments, etc. Not to mention giving you access to…

As a iOS user I feel safer that all payments go through apple. I am assured of certain level of privacy and security which is very comforting.

Nothing would stop you from limiting yourself to apps that only use Apple's ecosystem, but what is the reason to stop others from installing apps that are using other ecosystems on their iOS devices?

I would certainly enjoy F-Droid for iOS.

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