You could in fact (try) to get around Google's payment processor if you change your donate button into an in-app purchase of a media file that can also be processed by other apps (images, videos, songs, eBook...), see Google Play Developer Policies <https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html>:
Developers offering additional content, services or functionality within another category of app downloaded from Google Play must use Google Play's in-app billing service <http://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/index.html> as the method of payment, *except:* - where payment is primarily for physical goods or services (e.g., buying movie tickets, or buying a publication where the price also includes a hard copy subscription); or - *where payment is for digital content or goods that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g., buying songs that can be played on other music players). * The only difficulty would be communicating the message to your users that the purchase is meant to be a donation for your work on the app. If you would phrase it like that you still would be violating the policies. On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 11:35:13 AM UTC-6, NickL wrote: > > I bet you are exactly right. Much as it sounds crazy, that is the only > thing that would explain this. thanks! > > I still think there must be a way to collect donations without giving > those scoundrels a cut of the loot. > > On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 12:26:11 PM UTC-5, TreKing wrote: >> >> >> On Tue, Nov 18, 2014 at 9:54 AM, NickL <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> There is a donate link (redirects to PayPal) but there is nothing in any >>> way that gives the sense that new content would be made available by >>> clicking that link to donate, which is a Google requirement. It just says >>> "touch here to donate". >> >> >> From 3.5 >> <https://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement.html#pricing-payments> >> : >> >> "The Payment Processor must process all fees a Developer receives for any >> version of a Product distributed via the Store" >> >> I can't speak with any authority, obviously, and I wouldn't consider a >> donation a "fee" (that's for the lawyers to decide), but given the reason >> you posted and your comment, I would expect this to be the problem. Pushing >> the update probably triggered a review (possibly random?) and Lord Google™ >> was not pleased that you are getting dollar bills yo without making your >> contribution to them. >> >> You should probably switch that out with IAP. >> >> Good luck. >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> - Chicago >> transit tracking app for Android-powered devices >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
