Buyer Support
Seller Support
Google’s U.S. External Content Links program makes reporting mandatory on Oct. 1, 2026. FastSpring’s Steer Safe™ approach already makes it simple for mobile game developers to sell in-game items directly to players on the web. With the new mandate, staying compliant adds a handful of steps to a flow you may already have.
We’ve documented how to implement this process in our public Git repo to eliminate as much confusion as possible.
What Google Requires
Developers have paid 15%-30% on every Play Billing transaction, and that fee comes with less control, not more: Pricing, promotions, and player data all sit inside Google’s rules. Steer Safe™ moves the player from your game to a branded web store where you own the order. The External Content Links program is the result of a court order requiring Google to allow purchases outside of the app. (A similar program by Apple is still being reviewed by the courts.) Implementing the Google program means developers keep more of their revenue and can offer their players even better deals.
Google’s documentation lists these requirements:
- Enroll and get approval for your apps.
- Limit external content links to users in the U.S. and its territories.
- Ensure all Play Apps enrolled in this program comply with Play Developer Policies.
- Verify all users are able to access Google Play Billing in a consistent and reliable manner.
- Integrate with the external content links APIs and facilitate transaction reporting.
- Provide customer support for users completing transactions and provide a process to dispute unauthorized transactions.
- Offer refund methods for users completing transactions outside of Play, unless the user was clearly informed that the transaction is non-refundable before completing the purchase.
- All external content links must meet the destination requirements.
- Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, pay Google the applicable fees for qualifying transactions that are concluded outside the app.
How It Works
1. Utilize FastSpring’s Steer Safe Approach
Steer Safe ensures players are seamlessly directed from in-game experiences to a secure, localized web checkout and back to the game.
2. Do the Google Paperwork
Apply to the program in Play Console. Ensure the Android Developer API in Google Cloud is set up, and your service account has the right Play Console permissions. Budget a week for program approval, and do the API setup while you wait. The full setup checklist is in the technical documentation.
3. Add Four Lines of Code to Your Client
When the player clicks to visit your web store, check program availability, request the token, show Google’s disclosure dialog, and open a Chrome Custom Tab pointed at your FastSpring checkout. If the program isn’t available, the store opens normally. No token, no problem.
4. Update Your Webhook Handler
When FastSpring fires order.completed, your backend grants the items and saves the orders keyed by the Google token. Any purchases the player makes in the 24 hour period after the token is generated are reported to Google.
5. Implement a Strategy to Avoid Fees in the Future
Passing details on players who interact with External Content Links to your retention levers empowers you to activate the channels you already own. This means driving repeat purchases without steering fees. Not sure where to start? Check out our blog: Clever Approaches to Minimize App Store Steering Fees and Maximize D2C Profits.
Why FastSpring
Every order in this flow is a merchant of record transaction: tax, regional compliance, fraud screening, and payment method coverage handled at checkout in the player’s currency — none of it built by you. The secure payload keeps the price and product tamper-proof between your server and FastSpring, and the webhook hands you a signed, server-to-server record of what was actually charged.
Ready to learn how FastSpring helps publishers scale direct-to-consumer payments for their games? Visit fastspring.gg or schedule some time with our Solution Engineers.
