1. On July 22, 2026, Google announced that US developers enrolled in alternative billing (ABS) and external content links (ECL) programs must report transactions and pay service fees starting October 1, 2026; 2. Alternative Billing fees: auto-renewing subscriptions 10% flat; other digital features 10% (first $1M annual earnings) then 20% (new installs) or 25% (existing installs); 3. External Content Links fees: $2.85 per app install and $3.65 per game install if the user installs within 24 hours of clicking an external link; 4. The 'new install' vs 'existing install' cutoff date for US users is June 30, 2026; 5. Developers must: comply with PCI-DSS (if handling card data), provide customer support for alternative billing transactions, maintain order history and refund processing, and keep Google Play Billing available as an option; 6. The Play Games Level Up or Apps Experience programs can reduce standard fees by 5%; 7. This policy change stems from Google's compliance with the US District Court's order in Epic Games v. Google — Google reserves the right to modify or terminate the program based on changes to the court order.