News | Google reduces minimum prices in Google Play Store

Google, in a move to increase purchases via Play Store has introduced a new minimum pricing rate for 17 more countries following a successful pattern in India earlier this year. Introduced via official Android Developer Blog - Google's Official Android Developer Blog , it states that this is a strategic move from the search giant. 

Earlier Google introduced a similar strategy in India, wherein they reduced minimum price, which was Rs.50, to the new lower mark of Rs.10. The earlier results from India prompted Google to introduce these new price, mentioned at the end of the post, in 17 new countries around the globe.

Google reduced minimum app purchase and IAP prices in 17 countries after performing experiments in India.

To tell you, it was the Apple who introduced such move of cutting down on the minimum prices before Google. Keeping that aside we must welcome such move from Google which will help developers through increased publicity. The reduced rate, according to Google, will help developers adapt flexibility and will better suit local consumers making content more accessible. 

The math is simple, with reduced price more consumers will tempt to try these app (direct paid apps or In-App-Purchase (IAP)) and this will eventually result in increases publicity of that particular app. This will benefit to both, the app developer and the Google as well, as Google gets a certain share from each app that gets sold. Where people used to use pirated apps to avoid purchases, not willing to pay high rates offered by the developers, will now, with all positive hopes, try to purchase apps via Play Store. This will surely boost the sale of paid apps and IAPs in these listed countries in foreseeable future.

Developer can reduce (or increase) the minimum price tag by visiting Google Developer Console and clicking “Pricing & Distribution” or “In-app Products” of their apps. 

This move will definitely help Android and Google gain more customers all over the globe, but what we need to see is how much this going to effect the End user and the developers as well. 

Countries with the renewed price rates:

1. Brazil: R$ 0.99 (was R$2.00)
2. Chile: CLP $200.00 (was CLP $500.00)
3. Colombia: COP$ 800.00 (was COP$ 2000.00)
4. Hungary: Ft 125.00 (was Ft 225.00)
5. Indonesia: Rp 3,000.00 (was Rp 12,000.00)
6. Malaysia: RM 1.00 (was RM 3.50)
7. Mexico: MXN$ 5.00 (was MXN$ 9.90)
8. Peru: S/. 0.99 (was S/. 3.00)
9. Philippines: ₱15.00 (was ₱43.00)
10. Poland: zł1.79 (was zł2.99)
11. Russia: руб 15.00 (was руб 30.00)
12. Saudi Arabia:﷼ 0.99 (was 4.00﷼)
13. South Africa: R3.99 (was R10.00)
14. Thailand: ฿10.00 (was ฿32.00)
15. Turkey: ₺0.59 (was ₺2.00)
16. Ukraine: ₴5.00 (was ₴8.00)
17. Vietnam: ₫6,000 (was ₫21,000.00)

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Source : Minimum purchase price for apps and in-app products reduced on Google Play