Monetizing Your Chrome Web Store Item
You can publish Hosted Apps, Packaged Apps, Extensions and Themes in the Chrome Web Store. Collectively these are called simply "Items". You have many choices when it comes to making money from items that you publish in the Chrome Web Store. This page covers just a few ways to monetize your store item:
- In-app payments
- One-time charge (with optional free trial)
- Subscription
Keep in mind that although this page features Google APIs, the store allows you to use any payment system you like.
In-app payments
Items that use in-app payments are usually free to try. For example, you might provide a free game that offers additional levels or avatars for a small price.
Generally, Chrome Apps and extensions can use In-App Payments for Google Wallet with Digital Goods, and hosted apps can use the Google In-App Payments API for the Web to charge for features or virtual goods. The fee for using the latter API is just 5% per transaction. For example, if you charge $1.99, you'll receive $1.89; if you charge $9.99, you'll receive $9.49.
One-time charge
Chrome Web Store Payments is a payment system that is especially well integrated with the store. With it, you can either charge to download the item or provide a free trial that lets users try out the item before purchasing it.
The charge for using Chrome Web Store Payments is 5%. For example, if you charge $1.99, you'll receive $1.89. See Payments: Regions, Fees, and Tiers for details.
Subscription
Chrome Web Store Payments supports both monthly and yearly subscription models. As with one-time Chrome Web Store payments, you have the option of providing a free trial.
More information
| Hosted Apps | Packaged Apps | Extensions | Themes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x |
| Paid Up-Front | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscription | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x |
| In-App Payments (IAP) | Google Wallet for Digital Goods | CWS Managed IAP | CWS Managed IAP | x |
For details about app payment options, see Charging for your app in the Overview.