Google may allow Market apps to be purchased via PayPal

By Breon Nagy April 25, 2010 5:14 am EST Comments

paypal_logo Yesterday, in an informal meeting, PayPal spoke about plans to introduce in-app purchasing options for iPhone and Android. As you may know, Google does not currently allow in-app purchases (peep the Market distribution agreement). However, Jonathan George (of Boxcar) confirmed, with PayPal, that the iPhone library would allow in-app purchases for “physical goods and services”. There was no mention of how this would work for Android. This [translated] article does mention Android in-app payments, but if you jump one level deeper in the source tree, you’ll read this:

[translated via Google]

Dennis van Allemeersch, Country Manager Benelux PayPal had two important announcements: it will soon be possible in the Android Market PayPal as a payment method to use and there is a possibility to make purchases from applications. The iPhone is such a thing were possible: through in App Purchases users can make additional purchases.

My take:

1. Google will allow Market apps to be purchased via PayPal
2. iPhone developers can utilize PayPal for in-app purchasing of physical goods and services
3. Android Developers are still out of luck, with regards to in-app purchases

Back in December T-Mobile started allowing carrier billing for Market purchases. Sprint was supposed to start this too. However, I haven’t seen this as an option. I believe it requires Android 1.6+, with the new Market, for it to be possible.

What would be your preferred billing method? Google Checkout, PayPal, Carrier, Other?

Source: TheNextWeb
Via: John W.

P.S. I’m going to keep this in the big bucket of ‘unconfirmed’ until I see an official press release from PayPal

Helmore

No, the article specifically mentions such use cases as in game purchases of weapons. In other words, Google either has to change their Market Distribution Agreement or the article is wrong. I think it's the former though.

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breon

Thanks for the clarification. My guess that "in app purchasing" would be limited to physical goods and services, like the iPhone. It's probably not going to allow developers to create in-app purchasing for game level packs, new magazine issues, or other add-ons to the original app. Unless Google is about to change the Market Distribution Agreement.

The article states that it will soon be possible to both purchase apps from the Android Marketplace and to make in-app purchases on Android by using PayPal. I know this because I can read Dutch.