When to Use In-App Billing

In-app billing is also good for games, but unless you can make in-app purchases compatible with your application, it just isn’t worth it for some types of applications. I realize that it is tempting to try and make more money, but not all applications require it.

In fact, I’ll reiterate a point that I also made in the last chapter about how you want your application to stand alone, without adding crippled features. Don’t put in windows that say, “This feature is not available unless you pay for this particular in-app purchase, so buy now.” You don’t want to offer a free application that will work well only when the user makes some in-app purchase. In other words, don’t set your application up so that the user is getting a free application, but is paying for its features.

This is very different for some applications in which the user knows that he or she will need to be paying for something extra upon downloading the application. For example, there are many reader applications, and many of them are free. However, if you want books, then it is implied that the user has to pay for them.

In the case of the Aldiko Book Reader application, it clearly states in the description that the books cost (see Figure 7-1). If you have a player- or reader-type feature where individual e-books or videos cost extra, then you want to put something in your description that states that. I’ve seen DVD player boxes that show a movie playing from the DVD player, and there is usually some fine print saying, “Television and movie sold separately.” You should probably have that fine print, even though it really is obvious.

Figure 7-1. The Android Market entry for the Aldiko Book Reader. Note that in the description it states that not all the books are free.

I say “probably” because Google Videos, an application designed for viewing movies on Google, does not make any such disclaimer in its description (see Figure 7-2).

Figure 7-2. Google Videos is free, but movies (which you will have to pay for) are not included.

I’m assuming that a reader or viewer application makes it pretty obvious that you are going to have to pay for something more. If it isn’t obvious, then you should use the fine print if you are using a subscription model for your in-app purchases.