Google is slashing the toll it charges developers to sell through its Play Store, dropping standard in-app purchase fees from 30% to 20% or lower. The changes stem from the company’s settlement with Epic Games, formally ending an antitrust battle that began when Epic tried to bypass Google’s billing system back in 2020.

The new fee structure rolls out in phases starting June 30, 2026, in the US, UK, and EEA, with a global completion target of September 2027. Subscriptions get an even sweeter deal at just 10%, and developers who opt into Google Play Billing will pay an additional 5% supplementary fee on top of the base rate.

From courtroom to handshake

The feud kicked off in 2020 when Epic added cheaper external billing options to Fortnite on Android, deliberately violating Google’s terms of service to provoke a legal fight. Google yanked Fortnite from the Play Store, and Epic sued.

Epic secured a jury verdict in its favor in 2023, with jurors agreeing that Google had maintained an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution and in-app payments. The settlement announced on March 4, 2026, reflects that verdict.

As part of the deal, Fortnite returns to the Google Play Store worldwide. Developers also gain the right to direct users toward external or alternative payment methods, something that was explicitly banned under Google’s old rules.

What the numbers actually mean for developers

Under the new structure, a developer selling a $10 in-app item previously gave Google $3. Now they’d give $2 at the standard 20% rate, or $2.50 if they voluntarily use Google Play Billing and pay the optional 5% surcharge.

For subscription-based apps, the rate drops to 10%, meaning a $9.99 monthly subscription that used to cost a developer roughly $3 in fees now costs about $1.

Certain transaction categories could see fees as low as 9%, though the specific qualifying criteria for that bottom tier haven’t been fully detailed yet.

Why this matters for crypto and digital payments

With developers free to implement external payment methods, the door opens for crypto-native payment integrations within Android apps. Gaming studios, NFT marketplaces, and Web3 applications that previously had to choose between Android distribution and crypto payments can now pursue both.

Android commands roughly 70% of the global smartphone market, making Play Store policy changes inherently consequential for any payment technology seeking mainstream adoption.