Google To Devs: Use Our Payment System Or Be Dropped 305
Meshach writes "Google has been pressuring applications and mobile game developers to use its costlier in-house payment service, Google Wallet for quite some time. Now Google warned several developers in recent months that if they continued to use other payment methods — such as PayPal, Zong and Boku — their apps would be removed from Google Play. The move is seen as a way to cut costs for Google by using their own system."
They should do that only when... (Score:5, Informative)
They should do that only when Wallet is available in all countries. Google Wallet is not available in my country, I cannot receive payments so I HAVE TO rely on Paypal for this.
My app is available on Apple's AppStore, Blackberry's AppWorld, Amazon, Intel AppUp and Samsung's store and they all can send payments. It's just Google who doesn't. Even stranger is that they DO make payments to my country in the AdSense program, I just don't understand why they don't do this for apps on the Chrome Webstore or Google Play.
Re:Where voluntary isn't voluntary. (Score:5, Informative)
False. You're cut off from no-one.
I have yet to see an Android phone (in my country anyway) which doesn't feature a simple checkbox that allows you to install apps that didn't come from the market.
I have seen several Android phones out of the box which feature more than one market installed on the system (though admittedly they somewhat suck).
I have seen several alternative markets (Amazon included here) which are incredibly capable as almost a complete replacement of the Google Market, or Play or whatever they've changed it to.
Admittedly practicality here may be the key argument, but hey you are going to a 3rd party to host, advertise, collect feedback, and manage updates for your apps it's not such a hard rule to abide by.
Also as someone who vehemently hates PayPal, anything that works against it gets the thumbs up from me :-)
Re:Open (Score:5, Informative)
Android is open. Google Play (formerly Android Market) isn't, and never was. But no one is forced to use their market to provide and install apps.
Re:Open (Score:4, Informative)
The main reason I use Paypal , is because it that allows bank transfers. I don't have a credit card.
All the other systems I've seen ( including Google Wallet from what I've seen ) require a credit card.
Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal (Score:5, Informative)
I find Google Wallet a little bit more "friendly" to the user. PayPal, which I've used for years and years, has become more and more, how should I say - arrogant
Yes--arrogant in exactly the same way as Google is being right now
First of all, let me state it here that I do not work for Google
In the case that we are talking about, Google is basically telling the devs that if they want to remain listed on Google Play they should at least accept Google Wallet as one of the payment options
While I do find it kinda arrogant, I do understand where Google is coming from - after all, Google, being the host, ought to have a chance to get something out of hosting all those apps
In other words, Google's arrogance is still within the acceptable range
On the other hand, PayPal has, on more than one occasion, being extremely arrogant, to the extent to being, shall I say, rude
There have been cases where PayPal shuts down accounts of entities that they do not agree with
If those entities engaged in illegal activities, such as supporting terrorist organizations, or selling cocaine to the minor, then I would have no qualm for PayPal shutting down their accounts
But there are other cases where PayPal shutting down the accounts belong to groups which do not see eye to eye with the government of America - such as WikiLeaks
I am not saying that WikiLeaks is an angle or something - but PayPal's shut down of WikiLeaks account mean that they are not allowing PayPal users like me to contribute ***OUR OWN MONEY*** to organizations that we think are doing a good job
That, my friend, is TRUE arrogance
Re:Open (Score:5, Informative)
You gave these idiots access to your bank account?
Both Visa and MasterCard offer debit cards linked to your bank account. They act like credit cards and they usually have a clearing time just like credit cards allowing you some leeway to complain to your bank if a transaction doesn't go your way. I'm not sure what it's like where you live but the banks in Australia offer these free (free as in no yearly cost, no interest, no transaction fee etc) to pretty much any customer with an account that allows debit transactions. Actually I don't think I've seen a debit card in the last few years that hasn't had the Visa or MasterCard logo on it.
I highly suggest you investigate this possible option. In Australia our banks are pretty good with dispute resolution, in fact in my experience they have been incredibly painless even when a card is stolen. But if you give someone debit access to your account you have pretty much no recourse with the bank.
Re:And Bill Gates is more and more a hero (Score:3, Informative)
And through their failure, we gained the Wintel platform which now turns out to have been insanely open.
You don't seem to have a clue what an "open" platform is. Windows is *definitely* not an open platform. On an open platform the following scenario wouldn't happen:
1. You look up in Microsoft documentation for the best way to import data directly from a document into SQL Server 2005. It says to use ADO.NET.
2. You try using ADO.NET and get an obscure error.
3. You search for a couple hours on the internet and find out that the error means ADO.NET is not installed.
4. You go to try and install ADO.NET, only to find Microsoft doesn't include it in SQL Server 2005 64-bit edition, only the 32-bit edition.
5. A few weeks later a KB article appears saying MS doesn't support ADO.NET on 64-bit platforms anymore. A better place for this notice would be, oh I don't know, maybe IN THE DOCUMENTATION ON DATA IMPORTING.
See, in open platforms, developers, partners and users have a say in what goes into the platform. Microsoft does a good dog and pony show, saying they take developer input, but their communication *sucks*, they don't let you know what's going into a platform, and they rarely, if at all, have a roadmap beyond the next major release, and what roadmap there is is pretty sparse.
Is Silverlight being deprecated? No answer. WPF? No answer. What will be in the next version of Silverlight? No answer. Will .NET be fully supported in Windows 8/Metro? No definitive answer, but C++/HTML5 will be a "first class" platform. Well that's just great. Will there be a .NET 5? No answer.
This is not open, not by a long shot.
Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal (Score:4, Informative)
Yet, regrettably, when trying to sign up as a seller on google wallet, only "US" and "UK" are listed for me for some reason.
I live in Argentina, so GW is a no-go for me.
Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal (Score:4, Informative)
I don't like the new "terms of use" that google recently slapped on its wallet. Among other things, it gives them free permission to run credit checks on you whenever they please.
I don't use it for that reason.
Re:Where voluntary isn't voluntary. (Score:3, Informative)
Yes it does, apparently reading and research aren't your strong suits.
Apple charges 30% for all transaction done via an iphone.
Right now google does not.
Re:Google Wallet vs PayPal (Score:5, Informative)
Sorry. but this is the internet. If there is just 1 thing we should have learned is that you can't trust single sources.
I would like to see that email telling them to ""They told people that if they used other payment services they would be breaking the terms of use,""
So, grain of salt.
Oh wait, here is some clarification:
http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/09/google-wallet-android-in-app-payments/ [venturebeat.com]