Google Play is available in more than 190 countries around the world, offering people from all walks of life access to well over 1.6 million mobile apps – many of which can have a tremendous impact on a user’s quality of life. End-users aren’t the only ones to benefit as the worldwide marketplace affords developers the opportunity to put their apps in front of more people, thus increasing the potential to drive more sales and ultimately, make more money.

Up to this point, however, apps sold in some regions have been hamstrung by Google’s pricing model which dictates a minimum purchase price for both apps and in-app purchases. A recent change in policy aims to remedy the issue.

As Google Play Product Manager Alistair Pott correctly points out, every market has its own set of unique challenges and opportunities. Specifically, Google found that purchasing behavior varies greatly between markets which is just a fancy way of saying the minimum purchase price is too high in some regions.

In an effort to make apps and content more accessible, Google is lowering the minimum purchase price for apps and in-app transactions in some countries following a successful pilot program in India earlier this year. The changes are as follows:

  • Brazil: R$ 0.99 (was R$2.00)
  • Chile: CLP $200.00 (was CLP $500.00)
  • Colombia: COP$ 800.00 (was COP$ 2000.00)
  • Hungary: Ft 125.00 (was Ft 225.00)
  • Indonesia: Rp 3,000.00 (was Rp 12,000.00)
  • Malaysia: RM 1.00 (was RM 3.50)
  • Mexico: MXN$ 5.00 (was MXN$ 9.90)
  • Peru: S/. 0.99 (was S/. 3.00)
  • Philippines: ₱15.00 (was ₱43.00)
  • Poland: zł1.79 (was zł2.99)
  • Russia: руб 15.00 (was руб 30.00)
  • Saudi Arabia:﷼ 0.99 (was 4.00﷼)
  • South Africa: R3.99 (was R10.00)
  • Thailand: ฿10.00 (was ฿32.00)
  • Turkey: ₺0.59 (was ₺2.00)
  • Ukraine: ₴5.00 (was ₴8.00)
  • Vietnam: ₫6,000 (was ₫21,000.00)

The move has plenty of upside for Google as well. More app sales may translate to more users in the Android ecosystem meaning more payment details on file. This, in turn, could put the search giant in an even better position to charge more for advertising, thus increasing its revenue.

Developers interested in adjusting their pricing can do so by going to the Google Play Developer Console and clicking on “Pricing & Distribution* or “In-app Products.”