Android Operating system developer Google has given audio streaming and media services provider Spotify Technology SA (SPOT) its own in-app payment system in its Android app as part of a new pilot project aimed at countering high fees and allegedly anti-competitive concerns by app developers.
Customers who have downloaded the Spotify app from Google Play Store will now be presented with an option to pay using either Spotify’s payment system or with Google Play billing. This new option will be available in some countries in a few months’ time.
According to a blog post by Google, the pilot project will allow a small number of participating developers beginning with Spotify to offer an additional option next to Google Play’s billing system in their apps.
“This pilot will help us to increase our understanding of whether and how user choice billing works for users in different countries and for developers of different sizes and categories,” posted Google.
For quite long now, app developers including Spotify who sell digital goods have been complaining about having to use official payment systems of the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
While commenting on the new development, Spotify said its trial with Google is part of a ‘multi-year agreement’. However, the company did not give much detail beyond that.
