Google takes 10% off the bill and lets publishers keep 90% of the subscription. This undercuts the 30% that Apple demands from publishers participating in Apple’s subscription platform.
Payment will use Google Checkout which will cover publishers’ e-commerce and payment processing requirements, removing any need to build a third-party payment system into publishers sites.
Google One Pass is currently intended for periodicals, such as news and magazines, but can be used for other types of content, according to its FAQ on the One Pass website.
Publishers decide the price and terms of the content they choose to sell through Google One Pass. They determine the duration and extent of access to their content. For instance, this may include setting a one-week or 30-day limit on the accessibility of a given article. Partners control what content is accessed through Google One Pass and what content is free to users.
Google One Pass will enable users to access content on connected, browser-enabled devices and from mobile apps where the mobile OS terms permit publishers to access the web via the app for Google One Pass transaction or authentication services.
Content purchased through One Pass will be accessible on smartphones, tablets and computers that are browser-enabled and connected to the Internet. Syncing between devices, will be via Google One Pass transaction or authentication services.
Publishers who have committed to One Pass include Axel Springer AG, Focus Online (Tomorrow Focus), Stern.de, Media General, NouvelObs, Bonnier’s Popular Science, Prisa and Rust Communications.
One Pass is currently available in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the U.K. and the United States.
However, publishers in any country where Google Checkout is available can implement Google One Pass.