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I suspect this will be resolved in far shorter time than it would take to switch your app to a new API and distribute updates to your userbase.

by tvon 15y ago

andrewljohnson 15y ago
His comment was actually misplaced sarcasm, hence the downvotes. He is implying you can't use alternative payment methods for an iOS app, which just isn't true. He is probably not an iOS developer, and he just misunderstood the media coverage.
- drivebyacct2 15y ago
  Does Section 11.2 not prohibit the publishing of apps that use in app payment processes other than Apple's IAP? If I'm mistaken, I'd be interested to be told how. You are right, I'm not an iOS developer and I will accept downvotes for the snarky sarcasm, but I believe my core assumption to be true. If not, please forgive my ignorance and point me in the right direction.
  - andrewljohnson 15y ago
    There are a number of ways that you can sell app add-ons and subscriptions without using Apple's system. Hundreds, if not thousands of apps, such as Kindle and NetFlix, use alternate methods.
    - drivebyacct2 15y ago
      I think you need to check your facts. Amazon's Kindle app and BN's Nook apps were updated to remove in app purchases and completely remove all links to the Kindle web store even from the application [1]. Same with Spotify and Rhapsody [2] and WSJ [3] and Hulu [4] (Okay, that's enough links). [1] http://9to5mac.com/2011/07/25/amazon-brings-kindle-newspapers-and-magazines-to-ios-devices/ http://9to5mac.com/2011/07/25/amazon-brings-kindle-newspaper... [2] http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2011/07/25/spotify-rhapsody-have-cut-ties-to-their-ios-apps/ http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2011/07/25/spotify-rhapsod... [3] http://www.slashgear.com/kindle-wsj-spotify-ios-apps-more-lose-store-links-25167338/ http://www.slashgear.com/kindle-wsj-spotify-ios-apps-more-lo... [4] http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/20/hulu-complies-with-apples-new-ios-in-app-subscription-rules/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/20/hulu-complies-with-apple...
SomeCallMeTim 15y ago
It's a valid point: Neither Google nor Apple allow alternate payment processors. In that case they should be extra careful to make their service have lots of redundancy. In fact their services (especially Google's) are not nearly so reliable as one would hope. Such is the danger of a monopoly.
- drivebyacct2 15y ago
  Wait, Google forces you to use them for in-app payments as well? The Market obviously uses Google's Google Checkout, but alternatives markets and distribution channels exist for Android. I thought you could still use your own in-app payment system if you chose...
  - jen_h 15y ago
    The developer agreement indicates that only authorized payment processors can be used. AFAIK, Google Checkout is the only Authorized Payment Processor. Good thing for the GOOG, too, because reliability and support is often so bad as to be comical (you'd have to cry if you didn't laugh--there is a reason that this comment is top-voted right now: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3031478 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3031478). I think a good many developers would jump ship to something else in an instant were it available.
    - drivebyacct2 15y ago
      Oh, I know from following `koush` (RomManager, DeskSMS) on Twitter that Google's payment processing is a bit miserable. He's posted more than one screenshot of mass verification failures. I'm looking at the Dev Agreement and I don't see the parallel verbiage to Apple's "Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected". I can think of a fairly significant list of applications that have unlocks via PayPal or other methods other than Google's in app payment that ties into the Market. edit: It appears to be in Section 3.3 of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement: "All fees received by Developers for Products distributed via the Market must be processed by the Market's Payment Processor." I wonder if they're simply not enforcing it... Lame Google...

I suspect this will be resolved in far shorter time than it would take to switch your app to a new API and distribute updates to your userbase.

by tvon 15y ago

I suspect this will be resolved in far shorter time than it would take to switch your app to a new API and distribute updates to your userbase.

andrewljohnson 15y ago

His comment was actually misplaced sarcasm, hence the downvotes. He is implying you can't use alternative payment methods for an iOS app, which just isn't true. He is probably not an iOS developer, and he just misunderstood the media coverage.

drivebyacct2 15y ago
Does Section 11.2 not prohibit the publishing of apps that use in app payment processes other than Apple's IAP? If I'm mistaken, I'd be interested to be told how. You are right, I'm not an iOS developer and I will accept downvotes for the snarky sarcasm, but I believe my core assumption to be true. If not, please forgive my ignorance and point me in the right direction.
- andrewljohnson 15y ago
  There are a number of ways that you can sell app add-ons and subscriptions without using Apple's system. Hundreds, if not thousands of apps, such as Kindle and NetFlix, use alternate methods.
  - drivebyacct2 15y ago
    I think you need to check your facts. Amazon's Kindle app and BN's Nook apps were updated to remove in app purchases and completely remove all links to the Kindle web store even from the application [1]. Same with Spotify and Rhapsody [2] and WSJ [3] and Hulu [4] (Okay, that's enough links). [1] http://9to5mac.com/2011/07/25/amazon-brings-kindle-newspapers-and-magazines-to-ios-devices/ http://9to5mac.com/2011/07/25/amazon-brings-kindle-newspaper... [2] http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2011/07/25/spotify-rhapsody-have-cut-ties-to-their-ios-apps/ http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2011/07/25/spotify-rhapsod... [3] http://www.slashgear.com/kindle-wsj-spotify-ios-apps-more-lose-store-links-25167338/ http://www.slashgear.com/kindle-wsj-spotify-ios-apps-more-lo... [4] http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/20/hulu-complies-with-apples-new-ios-in-app-subscription-rules/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/20/hulu-complies-with-apple...

SomeCallMeTim 15y ago

It's a valid point: Neither Google nor Apple allow alternate payment processors. In that case they should be extra careful to make their service have lots of redundancy. In fact their services (especially Google's) are not nearly so reliable as one would hope. Such is the danger of a monopoly.

drivebyacct2 15y ago
Wait, Google forces you to use them for in-app payments as well? The Market obviously uses Google's Google Checkout, but alternatives markets and distribution channels exist for Android. I thought you could still use your own in-app payment system if you chose...
- jen_h 15y ago
  The developer agreement indicates that only authorized payment processors can be used. AFAIK, Google Checkout is the only Authorized Payment Processor. Good thing for the GOOG, too, because reliability and support is often so bad as to be comical (you'd have to cry if you didn't laugh--there is a reason that this comment is top-voted right now: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3031478 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3031478). I think a good many developers would jump ship to something else in an instant were it available.
  - drivebyacct2 15y ago
    Oh, I know from following `koush` (RomManager, DeskSMS) on Twitter that Google's payment processing is a bit miserable. He's posted more than one screenshot of mass verification failures. I'm looking at the Dev Agreement and I don't see the parallel verbiage to Apple's "Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected". I can think of a fairly significant list of applications that have unlocks via PayPal or other methods other than Google's in app payment that ties into the Market. edit: It appears to be in Section 3.3 of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement: "All fees received by Developers for Products distributed via the Market must be processed by the Market's Payment Processor." I wonder if they're simply not enforcing it... Lame Google...