Google during its I/O developer conference revealed a new 'Ask Someone Else to Pay' checkout button in the Play store. As per a report by the Android Authority, this new Google Play store feature is compatible with any app using the platform's in-app purchase system. To finalise a transaction, users can click the button to generate a payment link to share with someone else. When a user clicks the button, they are informed that the person making the payment must know their complete email address. They can view the item that they are purchasing and can request a refund if needed.
The payment link can be shared via the Android share sheet, and the recipient has 24 hours to complete the transaction before the link expires automatically.
Reports indicate that the feature will first be available to users in India, although it is unclear if and when it will be rolled out to other markets.
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Notably, the new functionality on Google Play requires no additional effort from app developers. According to Android Authority, Google describes this feature as a "fantastic way to gift or pay on behalf of a relative or a friend." This new addition is just one of several significant billing-related changes Google introduced last week.
The Android Authority report also mentions that Google now allows family managers to make purchases for child accounts on non-Android devices using web links. Family managers can use any payment method registered to their Google Payments profile, including gift cards, for these purchases.
Additionally, Google has reportedly doubled the price cap for apps in the Play store, adjusted pricing ranges to reflect exchange rate fluctuations, added new badges to highlight popular products, and revised payment methods for long-term subscriptions in Brazil, France, Italy, and Spain.