Read the External Payments Toolkit
Major developers have launched a significant number of new web stores since we first published our External Payments Deep Dive in March 2022. Now, we’ve updated our analysis to include these new stores and the strategies they use to drive traffic. The report also examines recent changes to government regulations and app store policies related to web stores.
Our key takeaways:
- Google has launched programs to facilitate external payment systems, while Apple remains resistant.
- Apple is facing increasing pressure as regulations continue to change globally. The EU’s Digital Markets Act will require Google and Apple to allow third-party app stores in European markets by 2024.
- Major developers such as Scopely, Zynga, and Supercell have launched a significant number of new web stores.
- Web stores are using novel incentives like daily login rewards and mini-games to drive traffic.
- Apps are implementing different ways of linking player accounts to web stores, including dedicated IDs and QR codes.
- Some apps have begun using off-app promotions and social media to drive traffic to their web stores, but this remains an area of opportunity.
In addition to the report, which focuses on our analysis and recommendations, we’ve updated our Teardowns with detailed breakdowns and image galleries for all of the web stores, publisher policies, and third-party services we reference in our analysis.
We recommend getting started with the External Payments Toolkit and then referring to the Teardowns for additional information.
