7 ms·

I can assume what challenges Google is facing based on how successful other companies in the space are in providing the same service, namely Microsoft and Apple

I can assume what challenges Google is facing based on how successful other companies in the space are in providing the same service, namely Microsoft and Apple. Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Yes, Microsoft and Apple had a head start, but the difference is just way too big, and Google hasn't moved that number in a year and a half. I don't want Google to do the dirty work for me. They should just let me do the dirty work, and let me implement other payment methods. Don't you see how saying "You can only use our payment processor on Google Play" and immediately following it up with "Our payment processor is not available in your country" is rage-inducing?

rmrfrmrf 13y ago
Do you think that's good for users though? Especially with Google's lax oversight of the marketplace? If the developer using their own payment method changed their PayPal redirect to a phishing site, would users notice? What if you implemented your own credit card payment? Where's the guarantee that you're PCI compliant? I can tell you that 99% of your users won't know what PCI compliance is. If Google allows users to become accustomed to entering their credit card info to each individual app, there could be major liability issues that I'm sure Google doesn't want to deal with.
- jamespo 13y ago
  On that basis maybe Google should stop Chrome allowing credit card form submissions.
  - freehunter 13y ago
    But instead of doing that, they now offer to remember your credit card numbers in the browser. That's a big no thank you from me.
- darklajid 13y ago
  Reeaally? So, is Chrome now filtering the internet to catch you entering your CC number to some vague service online? Because that's what we're talking about. Shopping (for an in app purchase, but still) online, in a browser. I wonder how Google checked if Amazon is PCI compliant.. If you're entering your CC everywhere that's not something Google can (or should - no need for a nanny..) fix. There's no way in my world that Google _could_ be liable for these kind of things. You're trying to understand their motivation for banning alternative payment methods. We both have a theory. Mine is 'greed', yours is 'protecting the user and protecting the company against evil worldwide'. I really think you're giving them too much credit here.
  - rmrfrmrf 13y ago
    There's a very clear difference between native apps and web apps in my mind. EDIT: I should make very clear to non-developers out there that, with a native app, you're able to display a web browser without a URL bar or any other UI, which makes it exceedingly easy to trick people into thinking that they're at an official PayPal site or other shenanigans that the unscrupulous dev wants to try. More information: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView.html https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebVi...
    - ceejayoz 13y ago
      > EDIT: I should make very clear to non-developers out there that, with a native app, you're able to display a web browser without a URL bar or any other UI, which makes it exceedingly easy to trick people into thinking that they're at an official PayPal site or other shenanigans that the unscrupulous dev wants to try. Nothing's stopping a non-standard browser (Opera, Firefox, etc.) from doing that, and they're permitted on Android. Hell, you could do it on iOS, too.
      - rmrfrmrf 13y ago
        are you trying to miss the point?
- fauigerzigerk 13y ago
  So where does that leave your "do the dirty work yourself" argument? Apparently you don't want developers to do the dirty payment systems work themselves. Neither does Google. So I suggest you reconsider your rather hostile attitude towards the developer who complained about Google's inactivity.
  - rmrfrmrf 13y ago
    Wait, now I'm the hostile one? lol ok.
yohui 13y ago
> Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Or the 196(?) countries the Amazon Appstore supports. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201146240 http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2... (* It appears that apps for China and, for whatever reason, Germany must go through amazon.cn and .de, respectively, instead of .com) EDIT: I count 155 countries supported by the iTunes App Store, according to http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3599 http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3599
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
damiongrimfield 13y ago
> Google: 32 countries Where did you get this info? I'm not doubting you; I just find it crazy that they have offices in over 40 countries[1], but only allow app submissions from developers in 32 countries. [1]:http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations
- napoleoncomplex 13y ago
  The list of all supported seller countries according to Google: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/150324?hl=en https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ... It is crazy. Edit: To be clear, this is a list of countries which can publish paid apps in the Play Store. The list of countries which can publish free apps is of course significantly larger.
- almata 13y ago
  Sligthly related to the part you find crazy, Google has their main European HQ in Ireland, basically because of the very low corporate taxes here, but guess what? It's impossible to buy a Nexus on Google Play from Ireland. If you try you get this message: -- Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. -- They say they're working on it. But that's just a lie. This message has been there for at least the last two years (probably a lot more) and nothing has changed. And we're not talking about a small country in the middle of nowhere. Ireland is part of the the European Union. And they not only have offices here but their main European HQ. They just don't care at all.
  - lstamour 13y ago
    Tell me about it. Or they do silly things like release sub-par Chromebooks to the Canadian market every other release, with the Canadian multilingual keyboard layouts nobody likes (because of the short enter key), and I have to ship and forward US models to get decent devices with the non-standard yet US english layout I want. (I say non-standard because they already changed the control key and caps lock, so they could care about localizing the keyboard improvements to other layouts, but they don't. Apple does.) Of course, I suppose I've the "advantage" of living so close to the US (2 hours drive) that I can go and pick up the latest devices from a US shipping address. But I shouldn't have to.

rmrfrmrf 13y ago

Do you think that's good for users though? Especially with Google's lax oversight of the marketplace? If the developer using their own payment method changed their PayPal redirect to a phishing site, would users notice? What if you implemented your own credit card payment? Where's the guarantee that you're PCI compliant? I can tell you that 99% of your users won't know what PCI compliance is. If Google allows users to become accustomed to entering their credit card info to each individual app, there could be major liability issues that I'm sure Google doesn't want to deal with.

jamespo 13y ago
On that basis maybe Google should stop Chrome allowing credit card form submissions.
- freehunter 13y ago
  But instead of doing that, they now offer to remember your credit card numbers in the browser. That's a big no thank you from me.
darklajid 13y ago
Reeaally? So, is Chrome now filtering the internet to catch you entering your CC number to some vague service online? Because that's what we're talking about. Shopping (for an in app purchase, but still) online, in a browser. I wonder how Google checked if Amazon is PCI compliant.. If you're entering your CC everywhere that's not something Google can (or should - no need for a nanny..) fix. There's no way in my world that Google _could_ be liable for these kind of things. You're trying to understand their motivation for banning alternative payment methods. We both have a theory. Mine is 'greed', yours is 'protecting the user and protecting the company against evil worldwide'. I really think you're giving them too much credit here.
- rmrfrmrf 13y ago
  There's a very clear difference between native apps and web apps in my mind. EDIT: I should make very clear to non-developers out there that, with a native app, you're able to display a web browser without a URL bar or any other UI, which makes it exceedingly easy to trick people into thinking that they're at an official PayPal site or other shenanigans that the unscrupulous dev wants to try. More information: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebView.html https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebVi...
  - ceejayoz 13y ago
    > EDIT: I should make very clear to non-developers out there that, with a native app, you're able to display a web browser without a URL bar or any other UI, which makes it exceedingly easy to trick people into thinking that they're at an official PayPal site or other shenanigans that the unscrupulous dev wants to try. Nothing's stopping a non-standard browser (Opera, Firefox, etc.) from doing that, and they're permitted on Android. Hell, you could do it on iOS, too.
    - rmrfrmrf 13y ago
      are you trying to miss the point?
fauigerzigerk 13y ago
So where does that leave your "do the dirty work yourself" argument? Apparently you don't want developers to do the dirty payment systems work themselves. Neither does Google. So I suggest you reconsider your rather hostile attitude towards the developer who complained about Google's inactivity.
- rmrfrmrf 13y ago
  Wait, now I'm the hostile one? lol ok.

yohui 13y ago

> Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Or the 196(?) countries the Amazon Appstore supports. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201146240 http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2... (* It appears that apps for China and, for whatever reason, Germany must go through amazon.cn and .de, respectively, instead of .com) EDIT: I count 155 countries supported by the iTunes App Store, according to http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3599 http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3599

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

damiongrimfield 13y ago

> Google: 32 countries Where did you get this info? I'm not doubting you; I just find it crazy that they have offices in over 40 countries[1], but only allow app submissions from developers in 32 countries. [1]:http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations

napoleoncomplex 13y ago
The list of all supported seller countries according to Google: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/150324?hl=en https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ... It is crazy. Edit: To be clear, this is a list of countries which can publish paid apps in the Play Store. The list of countries which can publish free apps is of course significantly larger.
almata 13y ago
Sligthly related to the part you find crazy, Google has their main European HQ in Ireland, basically because of the very low corporate taxes here, but guess what? It's impossible to buy a Nexus on Google Play from Ireland. If you try you get this message: -- Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. -- They say they're working on it. But that's just a lie. This message has been there for at least the last two years (probably a lot more) and nothing has changed. And we're not talking about a small country in the middle of nowhere. Ireland is part of the the European Union. And they not only have offices here but their main European HQ. They just don't care at all.
- lstamour 13y ago
  Tell me about it. Or they do silly things like release sub-par Chromebooks to the Canadian market every other release, with the Canadian multilingual keyboard layouts nobody likes (because of the short enter key), and I have to ship and forward US models to get decent devices with the non-standard yet US english layout I want. (I say non-standard because they already changed the control key and caps lock, so they could care about localizing the keyboard improvements to other layouts, but they don't. Apple does.) Of course, I suppose I've the "advantage" of living so close to the US (2 hours drive) that I can go and pick up the latest devices from a US shipping address. But I shouldn't have to.