For a long time now I have been wondering when Microsoft's Marketplace for mobile would be finished. Sadly after reading much of the material posted by developers I'm getting the idea the it might not catch on as well as Microsoft hoped. Paying $99 USD per app per year to publish a free app is insane. You would have to be a marketing genius to convince people to donate enough money to cover the cost for you. Other than the current special of 1-5 apps for $99 I don't see this as a viable way to spread freeware applications to the masses. So in turn I have been looking for a way to create a market where free apps can be published and download on a fast reliable server for FREE. I know there are already many apps that have this idea but my spin on it would be to allow apps to be sold as well. Using open source shopping carts like oscommerce would make this a possible idea. There would be no charge to the seller. The shop would be completely funded on donations. Luckily, I already have a host but I would need support from coders and developers to make this come true.
So far, I need someone to code a payment module to allow oscommerce to set each individual pay app to its respective developer's paypal account. So when you choose the app you want and continue to pay for it, the money will go directly to the developer. Like Microsoft, a simple little app or link in the program files can route people to the site so anyone can download and buy on the fly. Seems simple enough right? I have a test shop where I am trying to put up a live demo so that developers would be more inclined to publish their apps when they see my idea in action. I'm still not done with it as I also have another project that I am getting paid for. You will see the site go down and up a lot till I am comfortable with the layout and stability.
I really need some input on this. Do you think that this could actually work and would you support if it became a reality?
sure.... I will put my apps on the server if this becomes a reality
good work and I hope to see this soon!
I'm working with a site called freewarepocketpc.net right to write a client (currently for the freeware side) but also could contain the shareware/paid apps. Creating your own database AND program is not something that you can take on in your free time
joel2009 said:
I'm working with a site called freewarepocketpc.net right to write a client (currently for the freeware side) but also could contain the shareware/paid apps. Creating your own database AND program is not something that you can take on in your free time
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I agree. This would be difficult to do but im going to try and see this through.
Hi all,
it takes a long time to develop an app and it takes even more to achieve that your app is known.
My app (so far) Voice Message has ads from admob to help me to get some money from the users.
I don't know if this is already said, but I think we can collaborate with Admob auto-ads. For example, I can put ads in Admob of another app as if it were mine and the other developer could do the same.
If you think this is a good idea to promote our apps, I will put ads in Admob to promote your apps, and you will do the same for mine.
We can put in Admob until 50% ads from auto-ads and collaborate among us.
What do you think?
Hi pacosal,
I do really like your idea! You can develop the best apps but if nobody knows them them they're useless.
In the end that's bad for the users and the developers!
I do have two apps in the Market with one of those as a paid app. I would really like to have more advertisement, because personally I think it is the best one available. If we can find more developers who are willing to collaborate we could get a large user base and increase popularity and therefore sales.
I'm willing to put my free app (~60000 downloads and ~30000 active users) into the pot.
Who's next?!
// edit: wow that was my first post, really?! Almost one year after registering...
ok, perfect!
We can wait for more developers or we can start right now and when others developers want to join us, they have to write in this thread.
My app is Voice Message, you can put this kind of ads.
Try the free Voice Message App with url to: market://details?id=com.pacosal.voicemessage
What is your APP?
Tell me and I will promote yours.
Anyone more?
Anyone else?
Hey,
sorry for the long delay.
Currently I don't have ads in my free app (called 'Stats') and I don't want to update it just to add ads into it. It will take some time for me to put a little work into it.
We should collect more developers to build some kind of community. What do you think about a small website?
Sebastian
It could be a good idea, but at first we need more developers interested in.
Waiting for more developers...
I will post into a German developer board, let's see how it works...
Hi,
I recently developed my first application in android, and i want to publish it to the android market. It's a very simple application that helps to calculate the score of the Agricola game board.
I want this application be free, but also want to give the option if someone wants to donate.
Which is better? Publish a free app with ads and another one without ads (donate version with the minimum that market permits)? or publish a free and donate version without ads, and let the user choose if they want to donate for the same app?
Thanks!
While I have no experience with this I would think that if you are going to publish two versions of the app the Free+Ads and Donate-Ads combination would give individuals more incentive to donate.
If you are going to make both apps without ads why not try building a paypal donate option into the app so that you can avoid paying to publish again and other miscellaneous fees.
But again, I have no real experience with this so what do I know?
Add a link in the program to a PayPal account you have?
Hello I'm developing a couple new applications and I what uses to be able to experience all the content for free however I need to make my money back or what put into it so are you allowed do you have an in app purchase that donates $1 if this user wants to donate the click to donate $1 button and they in app purchase a donation
I want to make sure this doesn't go against the terms and conditions with Google because I've been reading on how to put in the bed hammer on accounts and I do not want to lose mine
Please let me know
Rapsong11
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
rapsong11 said:
Hello I'm developing a couple new applications and I what uses to be able to experience all the content for free however I need to make my money back or what put into it so are you allowed do you have an in app purchase that donates $1 if this user wants to donate the click to donate $1 button and they in app purchase a donation
I want to make sure this doesn't go against the terms and conditions with Google because I've been reading on how to put in the bed hammer on accounts and I do not want to lose mine
Please let me know
Rapsong11
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Yes, I didn't even think about that question when I implemented mine! Before the in-app purchases became available there were already a quazillion free apps - donation/paid app combo's on the market. I've got such a thing implemented in my apps.
its all gotta go through google wallet now.
rapsong11 said:
Hello I'm developing a couple new applications and I what uses to be able to experience all the content for free however I need to make my money back or what put into it so are you allowed do you have an in app purchase that donates $1 if this user wants to donate the click to donate $1 button and they in app purchase a donation
I want to make sure this doesn't go against the terms and conditions with Google because I've been reading on how to put in the bed hammer on accounts and I do not want to lose mine
Please let me know
Rapsong11
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
If you just want a donation and not to sell any thing, you can use paypal who just create a link that is specific to your PayPal ID that will allow people who follow it to donate any amount that they'd like to you. All you'd have to do for this to work on android is put a button in your app that when clicked creates an Intent containing this link and start it. That will open up the browser to the correct page that the user can use to make a donation.
[email protected] said:
If you just want a donation and not to sell any thing, you can use paypal who just create a link that is specific to your PayPal ID that will allow people who follow it to donate any amount that they'd like to you. All you'd have to do for this to work on android is put a button in your app that when clicked creates an Intent containing this link and start it. That will open up the browser to the correct page that the user can use to make a donation.
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That might be better because Google gets 30 % of the in-app purchases whereas Ebay/Paypal gets less.
I've tried both methods and I can say from personal experience that a link to a PayPal donate button is very, very inefficient compared to a in-app purchase.
In fact, I've also removed the donate button on my xda profile
Taptalked u see .. əəs n pəʞlɐʇdɐʇ
Zatta said:
I've tried both methods and I can say from personal experience that a link to a PayPal donate button is very, very inefficient compared to a in-app purchase.
In fact, I've also removed the donate button on my xda profile
Taptalked u see .. əəs n pəʞlɐʇdɐʇ
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Hey, thanks for the feedback.
That makes sense, too. Who wants to pay via Paypal on his phone? In-app purchases are much easier.
nikwen said:
Hey, thanks for the feedback.
That makes sense, too. Who wants to pay via Paypal on his phone? In-app purchases are much easier.
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I disagree. I think the PayPal Mobile Payment Libraries are easier to implement for developers and easier to use for users. Google Wallet is the most annoying product Google has ever come up with.That being said, do we have a choice? I've heard a couple incidents where apps were suspended due to having a PayPal Donate button, but considering the widespread application of it in apps today, I'm not sure about it anymore. I suppose it's better to stay on the safe side and keep slugging on with in-app purchases.
dragonnis said:
I disagree. I think the PayPal Mobile Payment Libraries are easier to implement for developers and easier to use for users. Google Wallet is the most annoying product Google has ever come up with.That being said, do we have a choice? I've heard a couple incidents where apps were suspended due to having a PayPal Donate button, but considering the widespread application of it in apps today, I'm not sure about it anymore. I suppose it's better to stay on the safe side and keep slugging on with in-app purchases.
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That is definetly true.
However, we were talking about a link to a donation website which needs to be opened in the browser. It might be totally different for the libraries.
Yeah, Google does not allow other payment methods in apps on Google Play (or at least it did not when I read the agreement).
If you have a paid-app or an in-app-billing inside your app, you will have to put your real address to be publically shown on the Play Store .
Links about this :
http://www.xda-developers.com/andro...s-will-soon-have-to-provide-physical-address/
http://www.androidauthority.com/google-forcing-developers-to-publish-home-addresses-527772/
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...es-to-have-an-address-on-file-in-google-play/
http://phandroid.com/2014/09/18/google-play-now-requires-devs-to-make-their-home-address-public/
http://www.androidheadlines.com/201...physical-address-file-paid-apps-apps-iap.html
http://androidandme.com/2014/09/new...es-app-developers-to-list-a-physical-address/
http://www.greenbot.com/article/2685242/android-developers-must-now-list-physical-address-in-play-store.html[/url]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2685...-now-list-physical-address-in-play-store.html
I've also written 2 posts about it here and here.
Please try to make a difference and help fight against this decision.
You can do the next things:
1. Sign a petition, here and here
2. Share, star and comment on the above links, not only those that I've found, but also on other places.
Maybe, together we will show Google that it's a bad decision, and they will give a better alternative.
Signed both. I'm not a developer, but I think it's total crap that they'd force this on people.
Not good game Google. "Don't Be Evil"
Thanks I was hoping someone would start a forum regarding this
Thanks I was hoping someone would start a forum regarding this :
This is an awful direction for Google to take the only people this hurts are the very people that made Android what it is today The " Individual " APP Developers , if it wasn't for the hobbyist and enthusiast , you know The small " Individual " APP Developers early on Android probably wouldn't of made it past Version 1.5 , it was the APPS that these " Individual " APP Developers made that gave people a want to buy an Android device and has lead to Android being the APP ECO System it is today.
Hope Google comes to their senses. . .
I understand why (reduce malicious apps) but it will also pull good indie apps.
Guess donations packs should now be sold on dev's website, without the help of Googke Play Services DRM for piracy checking.
An alternative could be Amazon's app store, but I don't know if they are indie friendly.
Magissia said:
I understand why (reduce apps) but it will also pull good indie apps.
Guess donations packs should now be sold on dev's website, without the help of Googke Play Services DRM for piracy checking.
An alternative could be Amazon's app store, but I don't know if they are indie friendly.
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This won't have any affect on malicious apps, most malicious apps are free so won't be bound to the mandatory address requirement the ones that are not free will just convert to free.
And users need to take more realisability for the content they load on their device. Really in this day in age I can't believe people still install things with out researching first.
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app
Shame on Google.
This actually won't prevent malicious apps to be published on the Play Store, malware are usually free apps.
Instead, this put indie develepers into a risky condition, mad people at the door, harassment, in the best case "just" privacy concerns.
I can't understand this stupid decision by Google, maybe it's because of the new refund policies, refund requests after the canonical 2 hours are hanled by them, in other words they have to put the money. Forcing people to publish free instead of paid apps will make them save some money.. maybe.
However, whatever the reason, it's time they stop to make the developers pay for THEIR mistakes and security holes!
Is there a way to make it a sticky on all of the Android sub-forums, or something?
Time is running short, and I really hope to make a difference here.
I don't care even if you modify my post or make a new one.
Magissia said:
I understand why (reduce malicious apps) but it will also pull good indie apps.
Guess donations packs should now be sold on dev's website, without the help of Googke Play Services DRM for piracy checking.
An alternative could be Amazon's app store, but I don't know if they are indie friendly.
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Click to collapse
Speaking of donations, I've tried to suggest an alternative solution in case it won't work, as a second plan, here
AndroidDeveloperLB said:
Speaking of donations, I've tried to suggest an alternative solution in case it won't work, as a second plan, here
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hey, is the thing about entering addresses still going on? i havnt gotten a notification on my google developers console to give address
Sahaab said:
hey, is the thing about entering addresses still going on? i havnt gotten a notification on my google developers console to give address
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Yes, it is.
If you go there, and click on "Announcements" , you will see it.
AndroidDeveloperLB said:
Yes, it is.
If you go there, and click on "Announcements" , you will see it.
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thanks, found it
really dont want to add an address tho XD
---------- Post added at 09:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------
AndroidDeveloperLB said:
Yes, it is.
If you go there, and click on "Announcements" , you will see it.
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lawl i dont know but i am now having trouble finding the place to put my address in XD
Sahaab said:
thanks, found it
really dont want to add an address tho XD
---------- Post added at 09:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------
lawl i dont know but i am now having trouble finding the place to put my address in XD
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They specifically say :
"
Add a physical contact address Beginning September 30, 2014, you need to add a physical address to your Settings page. After you've added an address, it will be available on your app's detail page to all users on Google Play. If your physical address changes, make sure to update your information on your Settings page.
If you have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, it's mandatory to provide a physical address where you can be contacted, as you are the seller of that content, to comply with consumer protection laws. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store."
This means they want an address to be published for all.
In order to edit this setting, you have to go to "finance" and then to the merchant settings and then edit the address...
AndroidDeveloperLB said:
They specifically say :
"
Add a physical contact address Beginning September 30, 2014, you need to add a physical address to your Settings page. After you've added an address, it will be available on your app's detail page to all users on Google Play. If your physical address changes, make sure to update your information on your Settings page.
If you have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, it's mandatory to provide a physical address where you can be contacted, as you are the seller of that content, to comply with consumer protection laws. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store."
This means they want an address to be published for all.
In order to edit this setting, you have to go to "finance" and then to the merchant settings and then edit the address...
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yes i read the announcement
trying to find the setting to add the address XD
Sahaab said:
yes i read the announcement
trying to find the setting to add the address XD
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attached a screenshot.
AndroidDeveloperLB said:
attached a screenshot.
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Click to collapse
oh okay, thanks
removed since reading the suggestion.
Don't like the change.
Maybe someone started moving their apps to another stores such as Amazon?
Or even focus on IOS and not to deploy on Android anymore.
Good job Google
Generic Field said:
Don't like the change.
Maybe someone started moving their apps to another stores such as Amazon?
Or even focus on IOS and not to deploy on Android anymore.
Good job Google
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Good job, you forget IOS yearly fee.
If you can't afford a PO BOX or let's say any forwarding address yearly, can you afford IOS yearly service which is $99 / year ? Let alone you need mac OS to develop your application.
I rather to publish is in Amazon or just use any address which I have access to (maybe it is friend address or whatever) or you can use a "service" which help you to publish your app to market (but they will ask you: source code (as they will compile it by themselves), analyze your source code (make sure your code is safe), and get 20 - 25% from your revenue). If you insist to use a store: publish your application to windows phone (well good luck with visual studio license) store or incoming Tizen. IOS is not good idea if you cannot sell your apps (don't forget yearly $99).
ishengard said:
Good job, you forget IOS yearly fee.
If you can't afford a PO BOX or let's say any forwarding address yearly, can you afford IOS yearly service which is $99 / year ? Let alone you need mac OS to develop your application.
I rather to publish is in Amazon or just use any address which I have access to (maybe it is friend address or whatever) or you can use a "service" which help you to publish your app to market (but they will ask you: source code (as they will compile it by themselves), analyze your source code (make sure your code is safe), and get 20 - 25% from your revenue). If you insist to use a store: publish your application to windows phone (well good luck with visual studio license) store or incoming Tizen. IOS is not good idea if you cannot sell your apps (don't forget yearly $99).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this is not the old good war between google fans and apple fans, the point is google is going to screw up everything.
I'm totally against apple and ios but, let's face these things about them:
- they ask you a per-year fee
- they verify your app and make sure it's safe for the users
- earnings on their store is four times than the play store
So, you pay a lot but you have a good change to get the money back and, above all, you're not asked to pay in terms of lack of PRIVACY and SAFETY.
What google is doing is crazy and unacceptable, everyone (not who actually buy on the play store, everyone!) will be allowed to see your personal info and home address and, btw, it's still not clear if a PO box is allowed.
I'm not a google soldier, i like google but i won't defend them when they become so greedy and unfair that even apple appears better.
ishengard said:
Good job, you forget IOS yearly fee.
If you can't afford a PO BOX or let's say any forwarding address yearly, can you afford IOS yearly service which is $99 / year ? Let alone you need mac OS to develop your application.
I rather to publish is in Amazon or just use any address which I have access to (maybe it is friend address or whatever) or you can use a "service" which help you to publish your app to market (but they will ask you: source code (as they will compile it by themselves), analyze your source code (make sure your code is safe), and get 20 - 25% from your revenue). If you insist to use a store: publish your application to windows phone (well good luck with visual studio license) store or incoming Tizen. IOS is not good idea if you cannot sell your apps (don't forget yearly $99).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't Apple's share of revenues from the app the same as Google's - 30% ?
Anyway, I got a weird reply today from Google on their Google groups:
https://code.google.com/p/android-developer-preview/issues/detail?id=1340#c22
to comply with consumer protection laws in different jurisdictions, you may be required to provide certain business contact information, including email and/or business address. Please speak with your legal representative on the different types of information that can be used. As an example, for more information on the types of business contact information that can be used, the European Commission has provided official guidance that may be helpful.
ec.europa.euhttp://ec.europa.eu/justice/consumer-marketing/files/crd_guidance_en.pdf
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Can I understand from it that an email is enough?
Also, how come I can't (as a user) see any app's address on the play store? Not even of Google's ?
Is it possible it's available only in certain countries? Maybe only in the EU ?