At the Google I/O developer conference today, the company introduced several changes designed to make it easier for Android app developers to generate revenue via subscriptions, particularly when trying to reach users in emerging markets. Most notably, the company said it will now allow developers to offer users the ability to subscribe via prepaid plans that essentially provide access to an app and its services for fixed amount of time the developer sets.
The users would then be able to buy top-ups in the app when their subscription ran out and they had the funds to continue. Google said the feature would make sense in regions where pay-as-you-go cellular plans are standard. In those markets, consumers are already used to the prepaid model, so extending it to apps could help to boost developers’ subscription revenues. However, prepaid subscriptions could also help to target other use cases as well — like subscription-adverse customers who are hesitant to get locked into ongoing charges and who want more control over when and how much they’re spending on their mobile apps.
Google also announced expanded pricing options with the launch of “ultra-low” price points to reach users in emerging markets.https://jac.yahoosandbox.com/1.1.0/safeframe.html
Last March, Google had reduced the minimum price limit for products in more than 20 markets across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, allowing developers to drop prices down to as low as 10 to 30 cents (USD). At the time, the company explained these “sub-dollar prices” would allow developers to reach new potential buyers by adjusting pricing to “better reflect local purchasing power and demand.”
Now, Google says developers can drop prices to as low as 5 U.S. cents. This would allow developers to also run local sales and promotions and support various micro-transactions, like in-app tipping.
While these changes will help to better target Android app users in emerging markets, Google made other improvements to app subscriptions, as well.
The company said it’s making it easier to sell subscriptions on Google Play by allowing developers to configure multiple base plans and special offers, in order to reduce the overhead of having to manage an increasing number of SKUs as developers tweak how they want to sell subscriptions with offers.
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