By Purnima Kochikar, VP Play Partnerships
Every day we work with developers to create a safe, reliable and fluid Google Play experience for everyone and ensure developers can build sustainable businesses here. In September of last year, we outlined our payment policy, which clearly stated when developers should adopt the Google Play billing system. While the majority of developers have complied with this policy, we are aware that some developers using other billing systems may need to make changes to their existing apps, and we have provided a one-year window for this situation to implement the update.
Many of our partners have been making steady progress with the previous deadline of September 30th. However, we continue to hear from developers around the world about the difficulties they have encountered over the past year, especially for teams that are still in areas affected by the global outbreak, making it more difficult to move forward with technology updates related to this policy.
After carefully considering feedback from developers of different team sizes, we are offering developers the option to apply for a six-month extension to extend the payment policy compliance deadline until March 31, 2022. Starting July 22, developers can apply for extensions through the Help Center, and we will review each request and respond as soon as possible.
Check the Help Center and Policy Center for details, schedules, and FAQs. You can also visit the Google Play Academy or watch the PolicyBytes video to learn more.