Regulatory scrutiny has scored another victory. Following a 2022 investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Google announced on Friday that it is introducing user choice billing in the UK. This feature allows Android developers to offer alternative billing systems for in-app purchases, in addition to Google’s standard billing system.

The rollout of user choice billing in the UK is set to begin on March 29, starting with non-gaming apps, consistent with Google’s approach in other regions. Other countries where alternative billing is already available include the US, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, and European Economic Area (EEA) markets.

Developers who participate in the program will be able to offer alternative payment options in addition to Google Play billing, and will receive a discounted service fee of four percent. This move is a direct response to the UK’s regulatory requirements.

In 2023, Google had proposed user choice billing as a concession to address a UK CMA antitrust investigation that began in 2022.

While Google acknowledged the influence of the CMA’s investigation on its decision, the company framed the move as a response to developer demand. “Although over 90% of our developers are ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with Google Play’s billing, which provides a secure way for people to buy subscriptions and digital goods in apps, we recognize that some developers may want more flexibility in payment processing,” Google Competition Counsel Myrto Tagara noted in a blog post.