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This post is part of our ReadWriteMobile channel, which is dedicated to helping its community understand the strategic business and technical implications of developing mobile applications. This channel is sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent.

Google Launches In-App Billing

As promised last week, Google has now launched its in-app billing platform for Android. That means developers can publish applications to the Android Market that contain mechanisms to allow for in-app purchases of digital goods. Explains Eric Chu, Android Developer Ecosystem lead, this feature lets developers monetize apps using try-and-buy, virtual goods, upgrades and other billing models.

Apps supporting in-app at launch include Tap Tap Revenge by Disney Mobile, Comics by ComiXology, Gun BrosDeer Hunter Challenge HD, and WSOP3 by Glu Mobile and Dungeon Defenders: FW Deluxe by Trendy Entertainment.

Google has also provided documentation, a complete sample app, and info on how to implement the serviceset up in-app product lists, and test the implementation.

In addition, third-party mobile services company Urban Airship is working on a "last mile" tool that will make implementing Google's new system even easier for developers. Similar to the service available for iPhone, UA's beta for In-App Purchases on Android is now underway.

Features supported in the program include:

  • Dynamic content: The Android Market limits application size to 25mb (even over Wi-Fi). Apps with rich content and media files can use UA's In-App Purchase offering to grow beyond that. Developers upload paid and free content to UA's servers and it delivers the content to the end user when needed.
  • Security: Urban Airship reduces complexity around security by validating all purchase receipts before delivering content to the application.
  • Versioning and updates: Urban Airship tracks updates to purchasable content and notifies users when updates are available. Developers can also fixes bugs in your updates without shipping an additional app update.

The sign-up form for this program is still live on UA's website here.


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