Ionic 5 android app rejected due to using Paypal instead of in-app billing

Question

An Ionic 5 app I built for a client uses Paypal for subscription, and Google rejected it because it doesn't use Google Play's billing system. Does it mean that Paypal is no longer accepted as a payment option on Android apps? The client really wants to use Paypal.

Answer 1

This is what Google says about InApp billing. Blog

Starting August 2, 2021, all new apps must use Billing Library version 3 or newer. By November 1, 2021, all updates to existing apps must use Billing Library version 3 or newer.

If you are distributing your app through the google play store, you must use Google Play Billing Library. It does not depend upon the framework you use. It applies to Native development, Ionic, Flutter, React Native, Xamarin etc. No other payment methods like Stripe, Paypal etc are accepted. The main problem here is that Google will take 30% of the total amount say it for one time or subscription. If you are keen on integrating Paypal you must distribute your app through ApkMonk, F-droid etc, or make payment options available only through your web app like Spotify, Netflix etc.

Answer 2

If creating subscriptions for any sort of digital product rather than a physical good, the Google App Store's terms essentially require using the Google App Store payment system.

You can create an Android App to sell digital things that does not use the App Store payment system, but you can't distribute that app via the App Store.

Some services like Spotify or Netflix have worked around this by directing new subscribers to a direct web-based (not app-based) portal to sign up for a subscription.