Are there alternatives to using Google's in-app-billing , as a way to avoid publishing private info? [closed]

Question

Background

Starting from September 30th this year (end of this month), Google won't allow developers that sell apps and developers that use in-app-billing to show their apps without also showing their address . Here's what they write:

Add a physical contact address Beginning September 30, 2014, you need to add a physical address to your Settings page. After you've added an address, it will be available on your app's detail page to all users on Google Play. If your physical address changes, make sure to update your information on your Settings page.

If you have paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, it's mandatory to provide a physical address where you can be contacted, as you are the seller of that content, to comply with consumer protection laws. If you don't provide a physical address on your account, it may result in your apps being removed from the Play Store.

There are plenty of articles about this new requirement:

• http://www.androidauthority.com/google-forcing-developers-to-publish-home-addresses-527772/
• http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09/18/google-will-now-require-all-app-publishers-with-paid-apps-or-in-app-purchases-to-have-an-address-on-file-in-google-play/
• http://phandroid.com/2014/09/18/google-play-now-requires-devs-to-make-their-home-address-public/
• http://www.androidheadlines.com/2014/09/google-play-policy-will-soon-require-physical-address-file-paid-apps-apps-iap.html
• http://androidandme.com/2014/09/news/googles-insane-new-requirement-forces-app-developers-to-list-a-physical-address/ -http://www.greenbot.com/article/2685242/android-developers-must-now-list-physical-address-in-play-store.html
• http://www.pcworld.com/article/2685242/android-developers-must-now-list-physical-address-in-play-store.html

There are even petitions against it , here:

• https://www.change.org/p/google-remove-the-need-for-developers-to-reveal-their-physical-addresses-publicly-on-google-play
• https://www.change.org/p/google-inc-reverse-your-decision-to-require-android-developers-who-sell-apps-on-google-play-to-publicly-disclose-their-physical-address?lang=en-US

And I've requested to have a solution for it here.

The problem

As I don't really have a company, I don't like the fact I will actually need to publish my home address.

For me, it's a privacy issue, as I don't always work on the app at home (plus it's more of a hobby).

My app is free to use, and it has in-app-billing only used to remove ads. That's it.

It doesn't add any feature when using in-app-billing, and the user is free to pay whatever he wishes, as a donation.

I do not want to publish my address, and according to what I've read, you can't even use a P.O. box (which costs money anyway), as they specifically ask for "Physical address" and not "postal address".

The question

Since I will probably not be able to use Google's in-app-billing AND avoid putting my home address, is it possible (and legal, and according to Google's rules) to use other services of other companies?

If so, which companies offer similar services?

If not, is there any alternative or a solution to this problem?

Is there maybe a workaround or a loophole that will allow me to publish such apps without the reason to also publish my home address?

Answer 1

Yes, there is a company called Stripe that offers an API helps do the in app billing without the need to use the Google in app billing.

EDIT : For the legal aspect of this, it depends on what you are selling , check this from google play policy.

App purchases: Developers charging for apps and downloads from Google Play must do so by using Google Play's payment system. In-app purchases: Developers offering virtual goods or currencies within a game downloaded from Google Play must use Google Play's in-app billing service as the method of payment. Developers offering additional content, services or functionality within another category of app downloaded from Google Play must use Google Play's in-app billing service as the method of payment, except: where payment is primarily for physical goods or services (e.g., buying movie tickets, or buying a publication where the price also includes a hard copy subscription); or where payment is for digital content or goods that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g., buying songs that can be played on other music players).

The source