Android device owners might be interested to learn that today Google has enabled a new “try before you buy option”, for subscription applications within its Google Play Store.
Google Play developers now have the choice to provide potential customers of subscription-based applications the option to try their app out for free before they make their final purchase.
Google explains how the new try before you buy option works within subscription applications:
“For any subscription, you can set up a free trial period that lets users try your subscription content before buying it. The trial period runs for the period of time that you set and then automatically converts to a full subscription managed according to the subscription’s billing interval and price.
To take advantage of a free trial, a user must “purchase” the full subscription through the standard In-app Billing flow, providing a valid form of payment to use for billing and completing the normal purchase transaction. However, the user is not charged any money, since the initial period corresponds to the free trial. Instead, Google Play records a transaction of $0.00 and the subscription is marked as purchased for the duration of the trial period or until cancellation. When the transaction is complete, Google Play notifies users by email that they have purchased a subscription that includes a free trial period and that the initial charge was $0.00.
When the trial period ends, Google Play automatically initiates billing against the credit card that the user provided during the initial purchase, at the amount set for the full subscription, and continuing at the subscription interval. If necessary, the user can cancel the subscription at any time during the trial period. In this case, Google Play marks the subscription as expired immediately, rather than waiting until the end of the trial period. The user has not paid for the trial period and so is not entitled to continued access after cancellation.”
It will be interesting to see whether the new try before you buy option within Google Play Store entices more customers to permanently sign up for applications.
Source: TNW
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