{"slug": "google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps", "title": "Google Play adding Usage-Based Billing subscriptions aimed at AI apps", "summary": "Google Play is adding Usage-Based Billing, a prepaid metered billing option that automatically tops up a user's balance when it falls below a set threshold, aimed at generative AI apps and other usage-based services, Google announced. The Android developer blog post also introduced Multi-Quantity Subscription Purchase for businesses and schools, Mixed Carts for selling auto-renewing subscriptions alongside one-time products, and Cross-Developer Bundling for selling two or more complementary subscriptions as a discounted hard bundle. Google said the features are currently available or rolling out through its Early Access Program.", "body_md": "Google Play today is [giving](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/09/unlocking-Google-play-subscription-growth.html) Android developers more payment options around subscriptions, including Usage-Based Billing.\n\nGoogle says the “subscription landscape is evolving rapidly” due to generative AI and “increasingly sophisticated app experiences.”\n\nEnd users should be on the lookout for **Usage-Based Billing** to support generative AI apps and other usage-based services. This “prepaid metered billing” works by letting users “automatically top up their balance whenever it falls below a set threshold.” \n\nFor large groups like businesses and schools, there’s **Multi-Quantity Subscription Purchase**. Organizations can “make multiple subscription purchases in a single transaction and easily assign those as seats or subscriptions to team members or students.”\n\n**Mixed Carts** allow developers to sell auto-renewing subscriptions and one-time products at the same time. For example:\n\nThis unified experience also opens up powerful upsell opportunities for your business—such as offering targeted discounts if an end user purchases a complete bundle of a subscription and complementary in-app items together.\n\n**Cross-Developer Bundling** lets developers “create and sell a hard bundle of two or more complementary subscriptions in your own catalog.” The example Google gives is bundling a language-learning app with a travel guide service for a “combined subscription at a discounted rate.”\n\nThis capability allows you to team up with other developers—or combine offerings across your own portfolio of apps—to deliver massive value through a single purchase.\n\nThese Play Store features are “currently available or rolling out through [Google’s] Early Access Program.”\n\n*FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.* [More.](https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate)\n\n[our homepage](http://9to5google.com/)for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on\n\n[exclusive stories](https://9to5google.com/feature/exclusive/),\n\n[reviews](https://9to5google.com/guides/reviews/),\n\n[how-tos](https://9to5google.com/guides/how-to/), and\n\n[subscribe to our YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/9to5google)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps", "canonical_source": "https://9to5google.com/2026/09/29/google-play-usage-subscriptions/", "published_at": "2026-09-29 16:29:26+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-29 16:48:08.398406+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-products", "generative-ai", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Google", "Google Play", "Android"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-play-adding-usage-based-billing-subscriptions-aimed-at-ai-apps.jsonld"}}