102 Million People Eligible for $630 Million Google Play Settlement: How to Get Your Share

At least 102 million people in the US will be able to receive the $630 million settlement from Google following its lawsuit loss against Epic Games.

Out of the over 100 million beneficiaries, 70% or 71.4 million of the eligible customers will receive the payment even without filing a claim.

Residents from the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are also entitled to a share from the settlement, according to the court ruling released last Monday.

How to Receive Settlement Money from Google

According to the settlement terms agreed on last September, individuals who made payments via Google and Google Play Store from Aug. 16, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2023, can have their share of the settlement.

In-app purchases, subscriptions, and bill payments are qualified for the reimbursement of at least $2.

The legal address written on the claimant's Google payment profile must be within the 50 US states and the aforementioned territories.

There are no avenues yet as to where people can file their claims.

Google Antitrust Lawsuit Settlement

Aside from the $630 million settlement, the tech giant is also required to pay $70 million to become part of state funds.

Google will also be making big changes to its payment methods on its Play Store app, including allowing developers to offer direct payment options and other third-party systems to users.

Consumers previously were only able to pay or purchase from the apps on the Play Store via the Google Pay channels where it charges developers 30% of the payment for using its billing system.

Google will also be simplifying the process for users to download apps and software from the developer's website rather than go through the Google Play store.

As for Google itself, public policy vice president Wilson White assured that Android and Google Play "have continuously evolved to provide more flexibility and choice" for both customers and developers.

The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 after Epic Games asserted that Google has a financial monopoly on in-app purchases in the mobile market.