Google is slashing the toll it charges developers to sell through its Play Store, dropping standard in-app purchase fees from 30% to 20% or lower. The changes stem from the company’s settlement with Epic Games, formally ending an antitrust battle that began when Epic tried to bypass Google’s billing system back in 2020.
The new fee structure rolls out in phases starting June 30, 2026, in the US, UK, and EEA, with a global completion target of September 2027. Subscriptions get an even sweeter deal at just 10%, and developers who opt into Google Play Billing will pay an additional 5% supplementary fee on top of the base rate.
From courtroom to handshake
The feud kicked off in 2020 when Epic added cheaper external billing options to Fortnite on Android, deliberately violating Google’s terms of service to provoke a legal fight. Google yanked Fortnite from the Play Store, and Epic sued.
Epic secured a jury verdict in its favor in 2023, with jurors agreeing that Google had maintained an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution and in-app payments. The settlement announced on March 4, 2026, reflects that verdict.
