Monetizing Your Chrome Web Store Item
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The Chrome Web Store payments system is now deprecated. You are free to monetize your extensions using other payment platforms.
Chrome no longer supports Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. ChromeOS will continue to support Chrome Apps. Additionally, Chrome and the Web Store will continue to support extensions on all platforms. Read the announcement and learn more about migrating your app.
You can publish Hosted Apps, Chrome Apps, Chrome 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
- Subscription
- Offering a limited trial version of your item
Keep in mind that although this page features Google APIs, the store allows you to use any payment system you like.
Items uploaded to the Web Store are unable to be purchased through the same developer account. Instead, use a trusted tester account to run a trial purchase flow.
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 the Chrome Web Store API to charge for features or virtual goods. The fee for using this 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 Payments
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.
Subscriptions
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.
Free Trials
The Chrome Web Store helps you to easily offer a limited-time trial version of your app to help you attract new customers.
Whether your item is a Chrome App, Chrome Extension, or Chrome Theme, you can use the Licensing API to check to see if the user has paid for your item.
You will use a javascript-based flow, that also uses the Licensing API along with functions built into Chrome to check the status of the downloaded trial item. If the trial is expired, you can direct the user to the web store listing to purchase the item.
More information
| Hosted Apps | Packaged Apps | Extensions | Themes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | x | ✓ | ✓ | x |
| Paid Up-Front | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscription | x | ✓ | ✓ | x |
| In-App Payments (IAP) | x | CWS Managed IAP | CWS Managed IAP | x |
For details about app payment options, see Charging for your app in the Overview.
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