By The Android Market Team took a few minutes as the day winds down to notify all developers about the significant changes to Android Market including uploading new assets for the websites, adjusting prices for different currencies, and In-app billing information. In-App-Billing seems to be the biggest change, a workflow of which you can see here:
There is a TON to learn about-inapp billing but Google’s guide seems quite extensive. Go ahead and dig in.
There are many more requirements in terms of uploading images and graphics, so app and game devs might want to enlist the help of designers to make their offerings look as appealing as possible on the new interface. Setting different prices for different currencies was interesting, and supreme marketers will likely take this into great consideration when setting price points.
Here is the e-mail in full:
Hello,
We’re writing to inform you of some new features and changes on Android Market that require your attention.
1. Android Market is now available on the Web. Users can now find and share information about apps from their favorite browser, then purchase and download them over-the-air to their Android-powered devices.
At this time, we recommend that you go to the Android Market site and review the presentation of your app details pages. If you need additional information about what assets you should provide, please visit Android Market Help Center:
http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=1078870
2. We are introducing a new feature called Buyer’s Currency that lets you set prices for your apps separately in each of the currencies on Android Market. We are deploying this feature country-by-country over the next few months, starting with developers in the U.S. When the feature is available to you, we will notify you by email.
More information on Buyer’s Currency will be available on the Android Market Help Center:
http://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/bin/topic.py?topic=15867
3. In-app Billing is now available on Android Market. We are deploying this new service in stages — from today, you can download documentation and a sample app only. Over the next few weeks, we will be updating the Android Market client on devices worldwide. At that time, you can begin testing against the In-app Billing service. When the service is released to users, you will be able to do end-to-end testing with live transactions and publish your app.
More information about In-app Billing is available on the Android Market Help Center:
http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=1153479
A developer guide is available on the Android Developers site:
http://developer.android.com/guide/market/billing/index.html
Thank you once again for your continued support of Android Market.
Regards,
The Android Market Team
Have at it, developers!
“We are introducing a new feature called Buyer’s Currency that lets you set prices for your apps separately in each of the currencies on Android Market.”
This could almost sound like a good idea. Except it allows certain groups to invoke region pricing. DO NOT WANT.
The last thing i want is to be paying twice what americans pay for the same app ala console and PC gaming. Because i am an australian. :/
@Jonathan_au – People who sell stuff always have the ability to target different regions with different prices and for great reasons. Two huge ones: (1) Perception. The idea of something being 99 cents vs. $1.02 – it’s only a 3 cent difference but human nature will cause the 99 cent product to be much more popular. (2) Supply and demand. There will be more demand for certain apps in certain places and developers should be able to price their apps accordingly. That part is just common sense economics.
Now that they’ve decided to use Google Checkout (instead of Paypal as rumored), I hope they will stop slacking and do a much better job on it. Since Google Checkout will be the default way to pay for stuff with your mobile, and supported by Android’s explosive growth, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google Checkout business gets bigger than Paypal in a few years, but I really hope they bring some major improvements to it, too. You can’t do that much with it atm, and it’s not even available in too many countries. What’s up with that, Google?
So does this mean the end is nigh for being charged for foreign currency transactions by my b*stard bank? Don’t mind if a $0.99 app costs me £0.99, I do mind it costing me £2.20 though.
@ Phil:
£1.50 “foreign currency conversion charge” here too, which is ridiculous – especially on a $0.99 app.
@Phil / Allen
Might want to change your bank. There are plenty out there that don’t violate your balance with fees.
Nationwide charges a flat 2% (i.e. 1p) for an app.