Google Play will soon display in-app purchase prices before downloading
It seems adding a notice about in-app purchases for apps that have them isn’t enough — Google’s looking to give you even more information about in-app purchase prices before you download it. The company has recently confirmed via the Google Play developers’ back end that an upcoming update to Google Play will show price ranges for games and apps with in-app purchases. The change will go into effect starting September 30th, according to Google.
For instance, A game with an item for as low as $1 and an item as high as $99 would show you $1 – $99. You don’t get the specifics of everything in between, but it should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect ahead of the download.
This comes at a time where in-app purchases have been the source of much controversy. Earlier this year, Apple was forced to pay a settlement for folks who claimed it was too easy to purchase in-app content (with many claiming their kids were purchasing that content without authorization or permission).
Google was eventually forced to do the same. The incidents have caused Apple and Google to update their digital marketplaces with proper notices, frequent prompts for passwords and other changes that will ensure no one can “accidentally” purchase anything. This is yet another step to make sure people know what they’re getting into before they download an app, even if that app’s initial download is free of charge. We’ll be on the lookout for the change at some point next week.