Google changes Play Store rules to allow cashback apps: Why it’s important for you and startups in India

In September 2020 Google faced a massive backlash from the Indian startup community after it removed Paytm from Play Store for a day. While Google never gave any explanation for banning Paytm, founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said Google mistook cash back for gambling. Paytm got suspended for running a UPI cashback campaign as Google thought it was some form of gambling. The irony was while Paytm got banned for providing cashbacks, Google Pay continued with its scratch and win cashback coupons.
Not just Paytm, even Zomato and Swiggy had to remove in-app gamification features after Google slapped notices on both of them. Without any clarity in policies, startups found it tough to offer attractive discounts and offers to customers.
In order to make things easy for app developers in India, Google has simplified its Play Store policies so that they know exactly what is allowed and what’s not.