In the Epic vs Google trial, a Google executive revealed that Spotify has a special deal that allows them to bypass Play Store fees. Don Harrison, Google’s head of partnership, stated that Spotify pays no fees when it processes its own payments and only a 4% fee when Google handles the transactions. This information came to light as Google requested to keep the details of its deal with Spotify sealed. While Google typically takes a 15% cut on subscription apps, this fee can be reduced to 11% for certain developers through programs like user choice billing. Google has also attempted to negotiate similar deals with other companies, such as Netflix and the Match Group. The trial has provided insights into the inner workings of the Google Play Store, including the company’s attempts to strike multimillion-dollar deals with game makers like Activision Blizzard and Riot Games.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/20/google-admits-spotify-pays-no-play-store-fees-because-of-a-secret-deal/