Google to allow third party app payments for first time in S.Korea

Alphabet’s Google said on Thursday it plans to allow third-party payment systems in South Korea to comply with a new law, marking the first time the US tech giant has amended its payment policy for a specific country.

Google’s announcement comes after a Korea Communications Commission’s request for Google and Apple Inc to come up with compliance plans for the new law, which bans major app store operators from forcing software developers to use their payments systems. Most of the new law went into effect in mid-September.

The curb is the first such move by a major economy on the likes of Apple and Google, which face global criticism for requiring the use of proprietary payment systems that charge commissions of up to 30%.