I'm working on publishing my Chrome App to Google Play using the Chrome Apps for Mobile tools.
As Mihai Ionescu mentioned, there are two Google Wallet Merchant APIs: Google Wallet for Digital Goods API (used for Chrome Web Store apps) and Google Play In-app Billing API (used for Android apps). As far as I'm located in Belarus, Play API is supported for my country, but Digital Goods is not, though the Supported Locations table doesn't mention any API differences.
Mobile Chrome Apps Payment Plug-in ReadMe says:
This plugin allows you to sell digital and virtual goods within your app. It is built on the Android In-App Billing API and the iOS In-App Purchase API. It provides a JavaScript interface similar to the Chrome Apps Google Wallet for Digital Goods API, so that you can use the same API in both a desktop and mobile Chrome App.
Questions
What exact API (Google Play or Digital Goods) is used for mobile Chrome Apps and can I really use one merchant API for both mobile and desktop versions?
If different APIs are used, is there any way for a desktop Chrome app to check that a user has purchased the mobile version via Google Play?
For mobile, you will use Google Play In-app Billing API, as the item will ultimately end up on the Google Play Store. Regardless of the API, you will only need to create a single Google Wallet Merchant account to sell your goods, thus using a single Merchant Id.
Unfortunately, there is no way to verify a user's purchases within the app on different platforms (web vs mobile).
Related
We do validate the google play in app purchase receipt on our backend server.
For testing we do fake the receipts and test with them our system.
Is there a possibility to do a test purchase from the backend server to google's test server, to generate a receipt?
Or is there a possibility to get an fake receipt directly from google play?
For Android there are static responses for testing, maybe for backend server too.
It will be a better test then to fake the receipt by my own.
All purchases, including test purchases, must be done using an Android application (via a real device or an emulator). It happens because the purchase is executed by the Google Play Store app, and authenticated by the user.
About the server-side API, according to the Google Play Developer API, you can use the Subscriptions and In-App Purchases API to:
[...] manage your app's catalog of in-app products and subscriptions. In
addition, with the Subscriptions and In-App Purchases API you can
quickly retrieve the details of any purchase using a standard GET
request.
So, after your purchase is completed (starting on the device), you can manage it's status, get details from the API and etc.
I have payoneer account and i'd like to receive payments from app into this account.
Payments are not for physical goods. They are more like app content-unblockers.
Let's focus on Android and Google Play distribution case.
I suppose, payoneer is not designed for processing quick small payments, right?
I need these:
App should be able to set price according to misc factors.
Payments should be instant without credit card entering - i guess it called "Payments from Google Wallet". E.g. if i (app user) have google account and i have payment method in Google Play, then i do not need to enter my credit card number again.
Payments should be possible independently of user location (country)
So, can I use, say, Braintree to process payments with those requirements?
Will it violate any kind of Google Play policies (the fact, that i'm processing payments not through Google)?
The same questions about iOS
For Android : You can use third party payment seamless/non-seamless as long as their sdk supports Android platform. Google doesn't stop you from choosing any payment service.
For iOS : : It's million dollar question. Always refer to latest app store review guidelines https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#purchasing-currencies
You can use third party payment gateway in iOS if you are selling physical goods/services outside of the app. For any in-app purchases you must use IAP.
For any in-app purchases if you use other purhasing mechanisms your app will be rejected.
Refer to section 3.1.1
If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than IAP.
I want to publish an app witch contains a WebView to my site only
and thats the whole app. Like Mobile Web app but comes from the stores.
Does app store or Play Store allow apps that have a WebView only to my site?
Yes, you can published an app which contains just a WebView of your own website. Please note that according to Google Play Developer Program Policies, it's not allowed to publish apps that provide a WebView of a website you don't own or administer:
Do not post an app where the primary functionality is to:
Provide a webview of a website not owned or administered by you (unless you have permission from the website owner/administrator to do so)
Reference: http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html
According to Apple's App Store Review Guidelines,
apps which are just web views are not allowed:
4.2 Minimum Functionality
Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is not particularly useful, unique, or “app-like,” it doesn’t belong on the App Store.
Reference: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#functionality
Yes You can but when you implement webview in your application few things must keep in mind
Webviews and Affiliate Spam
We don’t allow apps whose primary purpose is to drive affiliate traffic to a website or provide a webview of a website without permission from the website owner or administrator.
Here are some examples of common violations:
An app whose primary purpose is to drive referral traffic to a website to receive credit for user sign-ups or purchases on that website.
Apps whose primary purpose is to provide a webview of a website without permission:
Google play Developer Policy Center link
I am integrating google app marketplace SDK to my web app and publishing it to chrome web store as specified here
I have published the app to restricted users (domain users only) to test the workflow.
The app is published to the domain users but when I access it and click to install, it adds as a chrome extension but I cannot access it as a Google Marketplace app.
For marketplace integration, I have created a project under Google APIs Console and enabled Google Apps Marketplace SDK. If I click the "Test Install Flow" button
the app is successfully installed as a marketplace app which I can access from universal app navigator of my domain email.
Question
Is this the best way I can test whether the app installs as a marketplace application for restricted users? Can I not see it added by directly installing it from the published url?
I have gone through a few links which mention that it is now not easy to submit app to marketplace unless you use atleast one of the Google Services APIs and get through the Google Apps Marketplace Listing Review Request.
Can not post Google Apps Marketplace Listing Review Request for API Project
How to create listing on google apps marketplace?
If I do not intend to use any of the Google Services APIs, and just use Google App MarketPlace SDK, will I not be able to get the app listed in marketplace?
Any help is much appreciated!
Assuming you have added both "DOMAIN_INSTALLABLE" and "GOOGLE_DRIVE" in your mainfest.json file. Try adding "app" section to the manifest. See https://developers.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/developers_guide
We have developed an app using Google Hangouts API.
Now we want to list it on Google Apps Marketplace.
We have tried to add the Google Apps Marketplace SDK service to the app but it erases the settings of the Hangouts API page. These two services don't seem to work together.
Does anybody know if this can work? How long does Google usually take to reply to the Listing Review Request form?
The Listing Review process is a reactive process after your app is already published in the Google Apps Marketplace (via the Chrome Web Store)
Have you already listed the app on the Chrome Web Store?
Currently you cannot list Hangout Apps on the Google Apps Marketplace. In order for users to launch your Hangout App, use the the Hangouts Button.