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Developers Pressured to Use Google Wallet

By Leo Boon Yeow - on 9 Mar 2012, 3:00pm

Developers Pressured to Use Google Wallet

 

According to a recent Reuters report, Google wants app and game developers to use Google's own in-house payment platform -- Google Wallet. Non-compliance from the developers part means they risk having their app removed from Android Market, which has just been rebranded into Google Play.

Developers said that Google has been warning them in the recent months to use Google Wallet instead of other payment methods such as Paypal, Zong or Boku. However, they also added that it may seem high-handed, but they understand that Google is trying to simplify a customer's buying experience.

They said that by removing unnecessary friction from the spending process, app-buying, and in-app buying from users would rise, and offset Google Wallet's higher cost of usage.

Reuters also suggested that such a move wouldn't just be "Google using its powerful position in the mobile apps market to promote an in-house offering," but also a strategic move meant to emulate the immense financial success of Apple's iOS. Apple has been making all iOS developers use their own payment system since the beginning of the iOS platform.

All of the developers that Reuters spoke to agreed that having a universal payment method would be preferred over allowing developers choose their own payment providers. That's because they feel that adding payment methods would introduce unnecessary complexity into the simple act of payment.

"Without having to chose your payment option it's closer to the one-click experience of the Apple iOS platform," he added. "The convenience factor would outweigh customer losses."

Source: Reuters

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