Google Play Changed Its Fees. Here's What It Means for Your App
Short answer: since June 30, 2026 (US, UK, EU), Google Play charges a service fee on every sale plus a 5% billing fee only on its own checkout. Subscriptions through Google's checkout still cost 15%. Switching to your own billing saves ~2% after processing, worth it mainly for bigger apps.
The 30-second version
Since June 30, 2026, in the US, UK and EU, Google charges two things instead of one: a service fee on every sale (10% on subscriptions, and on your first $1M a year of other sales), whatever way the user pays, and a 5% billing fee, but only if the payment goes through Google's own checkout.
Selling subscriptions through Google's checkout? You pay the same 15% you paid before. The real question is whether switching is worth it for your app. (Source: Android Developers Blog, June 24, 2026)
What it means for you, founder by founder
What changes: basically nothing. You pay 15% today, same as last year.
Should you switch billing? switching saves you about 2% after your own payment provider's cut: roughly $60 a month. Building and maintaining a second checkout costs more than that in weekends.
What I'd do: stay put. Spend the time on your paywall instead.
What changes: the 5% is now a visible line: $2,500 a month.
Should you switch billing? after your own processor (~3%), you'd keep about $1,000 more a month, ~$12K a year. But every extra step at checkout loses buyers. Lose more than about 2% of your purchases, and you're back to zero.
What I'd do: test it on a slice of users first. Switch only if the conversion drop is smaller than the saving.
What changes: above $1M, the rate depends on whether the player installed before or after the change. New installs: 20% service fee (+5% on Google's checkout). Existing installs: higher.
Should you switch billing? not before you've seen your exact rate card.
What I'd do: open the official rate card in Play Console, and check whether you qualify for Games Level Up / Apps Experience, which have lower rates (cards published Sept 30, 2026).
What changes: this one surprises people. If a user taps a link in your app and pays on your website, Google's service fee still applies (10% on subscriptions). No billing fee, but not zero either.
Should you switch billing? web checkout is still cheaper than 15%, just not free.
What I'd do: price your web plans as if the 10% is coming, so it doesn't hit your margin later.
What changes: not yet. Google says other markets follow on a staggered timeline. Reports point to Australia, South Korea and Japan by the end of 2026, and the rest of the world in late 2027.
Should you switch billing? no.
What I'd do: nothing today. Put a reminder in your calendar.
What founders are actually saying
The pattern: most founders aren't switching yet. The saving is only real for bigger apps, and nobody wants a worse checkout.
Your 5-minute checklist
- Open Play Console and check which rate card applies to your app.
- Write down your monthly Google Play revenue: subscriptions vs one-time purchases.
- Multiply it by 5%. That's the most you could save by switching billing.
- Subtract ~3% for your own payment provider. If what's left is under $1,000 a month, stay.
- Selling on the web via links? Plan for the 10% service fee.
FAQ
Is Google Play's cut now 10%?
Only the service fee. If users pay through Google's checkout, add the 5% billing fee: 15% on subscriptions.
Do subscriptions cost more now?
No. Through Google's checkout it's still 15% in total.
Does the billing fee apply if I use my own payments?
No. The 5% billing fee only applies to Google Play's own billing.
Do I pay Google if users buy on my website?
Yes, the service fee applies to purchases through external links in the US, UK and EU, though reports differ on whether it's being collected yet.
Which countries does this apply to?
The US, UK and European Economic Area, from June 30, 2026. Other markets follow later.
Should I switch to alternative billing?
Only if 5% of your Google Play revenue, minus your own processing costs, is worth more than a possible drop in conversions. For most small apps, it isn't.
Written by Idan Waller, co-founder of BlueThrone. We buy and grow mobile apps, so we read every fee change from the founder's side of the table.
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