Billing

India's antitrust body on Friday ordered a probe into Alphabet Inc's Google in an ongoing dispute with local startups over its in-app billing system, saying the U.S. company implemented its policies in a "discriminatory manner".Indian startups have been at odds with Google for months over the fee it charges for in-app payments.The dispute escalated earlier this month after Google removed more than 100 Indian apps from its app store for violations related to billing, though it restored them after the Indian government…

The central bank’s latest diktat barring exclusive deals between banks and card companies could disrupt their mutually beneficial partnerships. More on this in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.Also in the letter:■ Celebrities warned not to promote gambling■ Govt’s AI missive not legally sound■ ETtech Done Deals RBI diktat to banks, credit card companies set to upend long-term integrations The Reserve Bank of India has continued with its actions on digital payments and the larger tech-enabled finserv sector with the…

In the last year, we have witnessed a surge in AI-based applications and APIs following the introduction of ChatGPT. This sparked the emergence of new enterprise use cases and workflows. Many of these solutions are delivered as APIs rather than traditional UI-based applications and target developers.   However, monetizing AI-based APIs demands a strategic approach to ensure that the cost of API access reflects the value provided to customers. It's crucial to mitigate the potential for misuse and ensure that the pricing…

Payments Council of India, which represents all the major payment companies of the country under IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India), wants the government to step in not only to negotiate between the two parties, but also amend the laws of the land to stop monopolistic policies of large multinational companies.“PCI requests the Indian government to bring in amendments to existing laws to save and protect Indian Startups, RBI regulated payment aggregators (PAs) from Google's abusive and monopolistic policies…

A few more apps came back on Play Store on Sunday after they complied with Google's billing policy, even as the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) expressed concerns as the majority of apps removed remained delisted. Murugavel J, founder and CEO of matrimony.com, said that only eight of the company's apps, including Bengali Matrimony, Marathi Matrimony, Tamil Matrimony, Jodii and Bharat Matrimony were reinstated on Sunday, but only after they accepted Google's terms. A vast majority of its 100-plus apps are…

As a result, this subscriber, who was paying $9.99 a month for a Basic plan, will either need to move to a Standard plan for $15.49 a month or downgrade to one that costs $6.99 but saddles them with ads. This is because Netflix put the kibosh on its Basic plan last year.To further complicate the matter, anyone who signed up for Netflix via Apple before May 10, 2014, will need to first cancel the subscription through Apple and then rejoin Netflix once the current billing period is over.Also: The best Netflix…

Those who've been paying Netflix through iTunes over the past years will soon have to say to goodbye to their lower, discounted rates. The company has confirmed to The Verge that it has started removing users' access to their iTunes billing plan for the streaming service. "Members on the basic plan who were using an iTunes method of payment" will now have to pay the company directly using a credit or a debit card, Netflix representative Momo Zhao told the publication.Netflix stopped letting new customers sign up for…

A division bench of the Madras High Court on Friday dismissed the appeals of Indian startups who challenged Google's app billing policy but has provided interim relief by asking Google not to delist the startups' mobile applications for three weeks from the Play Store. The formal order is expected to be released on Monday, sources told ET. The Madras High Court had in August 2023 dismissed petitions by the companies which included the likes of Bharat Matrimony, Shaadi.com, Unacademy as well as seeveral others against…

 The Earth is heating up, as is conflict in the Middle East. The world economy and Ukraine's defense against Russia are sputtering along. Artificial intelligence (AI) could upend all our lives. The to-do list of global priorities has grown for this year's edition of the World Economic Forum gabfest of business, political and other elites in the Alpine snows of Davos, Switzerland. It gets going in earnest Tuesday and runs through Friday.Over 60 heads of state and government, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog and…

A Front Range property management company has agreed to pay about $1 million to the state after illegally billing tenants for standard apartment services like repairs, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday. Boulder-based Four Star Realty reached the settlement with Attorney General Phil Weiser after an investigation by the Colorado Department of Law exposed multiple instances of the company charging renters for unnecessary work, unrelated damages and other fees not outlined in their leases. The…