Articles on In-app payments
Purchases and subscriptions inside mobile apps: store commissions, entitlements, and charging outside the app.
8 articles
Apple Pay and Google Pay without the marketing: network tokens and fraud reduction
Far from simple digital wallets, Apple Pay and Google Pay rely on network tokens and dynamic cryptograms. We examine their technical mechanics and fraud impact.
Same subscription on web, iOS, and Android: avoiding double billing with a single entitlement state
Allowing a customer to use their subscription across platforms without paying twice requires anchoring billing to a central account. Here is the architecture needed to coordinate web, App Store, and Google Play.
Payment links: when they replace an online store and how to collect via direct channels
Payment links allow businesses to collect quotes and direct sales through WhatsApp or email without a web store, keeping full SCA and security standards.
What is an entitlement and why access permissions should live on your server, not the device
Decoupling commercial purchases from actual usage rights prevents local tampering, simplifies multiplatform logic, and protects application revenue.
Digital goods, physical goods, and external links: charging inside and outside mobile apps
The boundary between what must be processed via in-app purchases and what can be steered to the web causes ongoing technical and regulatory friction. We analyze Apple and Google rules in Europe and the true cost of each route.
In-app payments: app store and google play commissions, and external billing options
App stores set the rules for payments within their platforms, charging commissions for transactions. Understanding these policies is key for developers and businesses. This article details App Store and Google Play commissions, and explores the possibilities and limitations of offering alternative payment systems or directing users outside the app.
In-app payments: what the store takes, and when you can charge outside it
App Store and Google Play commissions don't apply to everything you sell from an app. The dividing line is what kind of product you deliver, and knowing where your case falls decides whether you pay 15%, 30%, or your own gateway's fee.
What actually happens inside an online card payment
Between the customer pressing "pay" and the money reaching your account, three separate things happen: authorisation, capture, and settlement. Knowing where each one occurs explains why a payment can show as "approved" and still not be charged.