Google is lowering its minimum purchase price for Play Store apps

By Lulu Chang Published November 18, 2015

google play lockscreen — Image used with permission by copyright holder

What’s that sound you’re hearing? Oh, just the jingle of change in your virtual pocket as Google lowers its minimum app prices in no fewer than 17 countries. While 99 cents may not seem like much, for some in other nations (where the exchange rate between American dollars and local currencies can be in the thousands), it’s still a hefty sum to pay for a mobile app. As such, on Tuesday, Google’s Alistair Pott, a Google Play product manager, made a bold announcement in the Android Developers Blog — “Minimum purchase price for apps and in-app products reduced on Google Play,” the headline reads.

“Available in more than 190 countries, Google Play is a global platform for developers to build high quality apps and successful businesses,” Pott wrote. “But every market has its own unique challenges and opportunities. Purchasing behavior, in particular, varies significantly between markets. So to provide developers with more flexibility, we’ve worked to adapt Google Play pricing options to better suit local consumers and make content more accessible.”

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Some of the cheapest apps will be available in India, where Google first piloted its international Play Store. For as little as $0.15 (10 rupees), Android users in India can delight in various mobile applications, which Google hopes will allow developers to reach a burgeoning audience. India isn’t the only country getting a major reduction, though — both Turkey and Ukraine will have new prices starting at $0.21, and 14 additional countries are also benefiting from this policy change.

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

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If you’re a Google developer looking to drop what you charge users, visit the Google Play Developer Console and click on “Pricing & Distribution” or “In-app Products” for your apps to get lowering.

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