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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 re

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...
    - SomeCallMeTim 15y ago
      Actually, the clause you quote (and the restriction I mention) only applies to free apps. They certainly DON'T enforce the policy very often. Of course they'd need an army to enforce ALL of their policies. I doubt there are many apps on the market that adhere religiously to all the policies, and most have lots of obvious violations.

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...
  - SomeCallMeTim 15y ago
    Actually, the clause you quote (and the restriction I mention) only applies to free apps. They certainly DON'T enforce the policy very often. Of course they'd need an army to enforce ALL of their policies. I doubt there are many apps on the market that adhere religiously to all the policies, and most have lots of obvious violations.