Google Play Apps Experience program: lower fees and what it takes
Short answer: the Apps Experience program is Google Play’s optional program that gives apps a lower service fee rate card if they meet every program guideline, from passkey sign-in and the Engage SDK to adaptive layouts and low crash rates. The rate card only changes earnings above $1M a year: other transactions drop from 20% to 15% on new installs and from 25% to 20% on existing installs, and external web link transactions from 20% to 15%. It opened on September 30, 2026 for users in the US, UK, Japan, the EEA and Australia, and you enroll in Play Console. Games have a parallel program, Level Up.
Standard rates and the Apps Experience rate card
Service fee, plus a billing fee where applicable. From Google Play’s Apps Experience page, read 20 October 2026.
| Earnings and transaction | Standard | Apps Experience |
|---|---|---|
| First $1M of annual earnings, all transactions | 10% | 10% |
| Above $1M, auto-renewing subscriptions | 10% | 10% |
| Above $1M, other transactions, new installs | 20% | 15% |
| Above $1M, other transactions, existing installs | 25% | 20% |
| Above $1M, external web link transactions | 20% | 15% |
Who the lower rates actually help
The first $1M of annual earnings is charged 10% for everyone, and auto-renewing subscriptions stay at 10% above that line too, so the program changes nothing for a small app or for a business that earns only through subscriptions. It pays off for apps earning more than $1M a year from non-recurring transactions, which Google defines as paid apps, in-app purchases and non-auto-renewing subscriptions, or from external web links. Google says the program does not affect ranking or visibility on the Play Store. For the full fee picture across both stores, see App Store and Google Play fees.
The guidelines an app must meet
Every guideline must be met, checked by automated tests and manual reviews, with exemptions for some. User journeys: passkeys or an approved SSO for sign-in, Restore Credentials, the Engage SDK, Play Content on discovery surfaces, Android design systems such as Material, launching on Android at the same time as other platforms, and shipping features within 3 weeks of other platforms. Form factors: Adaptive App Tier 2 on phones, tablets and foldables, plus quality guidelines for XR, TV, Auto and Wear where they fit your app, and Adaptive Tier 2 on Googlebook desktops from March 2027. Stability and modern code: crash, ANR, memory and jank rates below thresholds, Jetpack Compose, and modern Android platform behaviors.
Where it applies and when
Eligibility follows the user’s location, not where your developer account is based. The rate card covers users in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, the European Economic Area and Australia from September 30, 2026, South Korea from December 31, 2026, and the rest of the world from September 30, 2027. Google counts an install as new if it was first installed, or first updated from Play, on or after the date the new fees launched in that region; anything earlier is an existing install.
How to enroll
Enrollment opened in Play Console on September 1, 2026, and you can submit an app to check it against all guidelines at once. You can join at any time, and a title becomes eligible from the date its integration is validated and approved. Google says the guidelines may change and that developers will be told in advance. The biggest pieces of work for most teams are adaptive layouts and vitals: see Android 17 resizability on large screens, building for Googlebook and Android vitals thresholds.
Where Censuus fits
A lower fee keeps more of what you earn; being found brings the people who pay it. Censuus ranks apps by visits and sponsorship, and adding your app is free on the List my app form. Apps climb on the visits they draw, and a sponsor can pay to rise higher.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Google Play Apps Experience program?
An optional Google Play program that gives apps meeting all its guidelines a lower service fee rate card on earnings above $1M a year. It does not change ranking or visibility.
How much lower are the fees?
Above $1M in annual earnings, other transactions go from 20% to 15% on new installs and from 25% to 20% on existing installs, and external web link transactions from 20% to 15%. The first $1M and auto-renewing subscriptions stay at 10%.
Which countries does it cover?
Users in the US, UK, Japan, the EEA and Australia from September 30, 2026, South Korea from December 31, 2026, and the rest of the world from September 30, 2027. It goes by the user’s location.
How do I join the Apps Experience program?
Enroll in Play Console, where you can submit an app to be checked against all guidelines. Enrollment opened on September 1, 2026.
Is there a version for games?
Yes. Google runs the Play Games Level Up program for games, announced alongside Apps Experience as rewarding standout titles with lower service fees.
Guides for app developers
- App Store and Google Play fees in 2026
- Android vitals and Google Play visibility: the thresholds that hide apps
- Ask Play and Play in Gemini: how Google now recommends your app
- Getting your Android app ready for Googlebook
- Android 17 ignores orientation lock and resizability on large screens
- Google Play target API level requirements for 2026
Put your app in the ranking
Censuus ranks apps by the visits they draw and by sponsorship, no bots. Listing is free; sponsorship raises placement.