Slammed down on the table just 24 hours after Apple launched its controversial App Store subscription service, Google has announcing a similar service for its Android platform.
Called Google One Pass, it’s billed as a new payment product for publishers, and is aimed at publishers of periodicals content, such as news and magazines.
Just like Apple’s subscription service, Google’s One Pass serves up a single interface letting users access and manage all of their digital newspaper, magazine and other content subscriptions – but without all the restrictions of Apple’s offering.
Instead, Google gives publishers much more freedom with regard to pricing models and flexibility, with publishers able to give free or reduced subscriptions to paid print subscribers, or try out a a freemium mode.
Open’n’flexible
Lee Shirani, director, business product management, Google Commerce, said in a blog post that the company’s goal was to provide an open and flexible platform for publishers.
“Readers who purchase from a One Pass publisher can access their content on tablets, smartphones and websites using a single sign-on with an email and password. Importantly, the service helps publishers authenticate existing subscribers so that readers don’t have to re-subscribe in order to access their content on new devices,” he commented.
Payments will be handled using Google’s Checkout payment system, with the BBC reporting that Google will take a 10% commission fee compared to Apple’s far heftier 30% cut.
