- Google Play is adding usage-based subscription billing aimed at AI apps and other services with variable costs.
- New options will also support team subscriptions, mixed subscription/one-time purchases, and cross-app bundles.
- Google is also testing smarter grace periods, cancellation discounts, cheaper-plan offers, and Play Store winback deals.
Google Play’s billing story changed earlier this year when Google opened the door wider to alternative billing systems and external web payments, giving Android users more choice over how they pay. Now it is turning its attention to subscriptions that still run through Google Play itself, with new billing options that could make AI apps, bundles, and failed payments work very differently for users.
In a blog post, Google says it is testing and rolling out several new subscription options, including Usage-Based Billing. The new system targets services with variable costs, such as generative AI apps, and it lets users maintain a prepaid balance that can automatically top up when it drops below a set threshold. That opens the door to billing tied to consumption rather than only a fixed recurring amount.
