Google Play’s redesigned Subscription Center simplifies recurring Android app bills

Abner Li | Jun 20 2018 - 1:57 pm PT

Announced at I/O 2018, Google Play’s new Subscription Center is now widely rolled out to provide users with an easier way to manage recurring payments from Android apps and services. The redesign features simplified options, while developers are gaining more tools to monetize applications.

The Subscriptions menu has been an item in the Play Store’s navigation drawer for quite a while now, but the page has since been redesigned. Rolled out following Google I/O, the section’s main view provides a better recap of recurring payments.

While users derive a lot of value from their subscriptions, our research shows their fears of being “trapped” in a subscription without the ability to cancel or worry they’ll lose track of how much they’re spending create a hindrance to users signing up for your subscription apps

Each subscription in the main list now features a larger icon at the right, with various text rearranged to be clearer and better spaced out for users. Each notes the name of the subscription, what the service offers, the monthly/year rate, and a renewal date.

Tapping each item opens a full page, instead of just an overlay, where Google Play lists the Plan, Primary payment method with a button to update, and the ability to set up a Backup payment method. At the very bottom of this page is a larger “Cancel subscription” button. Google notes that users will also be able to renew a subscription or restore a canceled one.

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When users do cancel, the Play Store will now display a survey with options like “I found a better app,” Technical issues, Cost-related reasons, and more. App developers will also be able to see this data.

New deep link support lets developers direct users to manage subscriptions in Google Play right from that third-party app, email, or the web. Other developer features coming soon include setting a price change without a completely new SKU. Google will reach out to users via email, push notifications, and in-app alerts to notify them of the price change.