Google drops minimum prices for apps, in-app purchases in 17 countries

Google Play is getting cheaper in some countries. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google Play is getting cheaper in some countries. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google has dropped its minimum prices for apps and in-app purchases through Google Play in 17 countries around the world. The change comes months after the company allowed developers to sell apps for as little as INR10 ($0.15) in India to “make content more accessible.”

“Available in more than 190 countries, Google Play is a global platform for developers to build high quality apps and successful businesses. But every market has its own unique challenges and opportunities,” Google explains on its Android Developers Blog.

“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.”

Here’s the complete list of countries affected:

  • 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)

The new minimum prices are already in affect, but it’s up to developers to reduce the price of their apps and in-app purchases should they choose to.

If you’re an Android developer and you want to drop prices, you can do so within the “Pricing & Distribution” and “In-app Products” sections of the Google Play Developer Console.