Google Will No Longer Let Developers Charge For Chrome Extensions

Chrome extensions are pretty useful as they bring added functionality that the browser by default does not. A lot of these extensions are free, but some require payment, but the semi-good news is that in a change to the Chrome Web Store, Google will no longer be allowing developers to charge for Chrome extensions.

Google had actually previously halted the practice a while ago, but it seems that the company is now making their decision permanent. According to Google, “The web has come a long way in the 11 years since we launched the Chrome Web Store. Back then, we wanted to provide a way for developers to monetize their Web Store items. But in the years since, the ecosystem has grown and developers now have many payment-handling options available to them.”

Now, it should be noted that Google isn’t saying that developers can’t charge for Chrome extensions, but rather they are removing the payments feature in the Chrome Web Store. Google says that developers are more than welcome to migrate to a different payments processor and also change the way they track user licenses.

If you’ve never paid for a Chrome extension before or if you’ve never charged for a Chrome extension you’ve created, chances are this won’t affect you at all, but for those who do, there might be some inconveniences.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Chrome, Google