Google Will Pay UK Developers £260 Million Over Play Store Fees

Google has agreed to settle a UK collective action over Play Store fees for £260 million (about $353 million US, or about $489 million CAD), according to Reuters.

The deal was published Thursday. The claim had sought more than £1 billion, and a trial had been due next month at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Professor Barry Rodger of the University of Strathclyde is the class representative.

The tribunal certified the claim in May 2025 as case 1673/7/7/24. A settlement hearing is listed for September 15, 2026.

Google made no admission of liability. The settlement says Google “believes it has strong defences to Professor Rodger’s claim.”

Rodger called the deal “a great outcome” for app developers. “If approved, meaningful financial compensation will become available for businesses that could never have taken on a company like Google alone,” he said, according to Reuters.

Under the deal, £160 million will go to UK-domiciled developers who sold paid apps, subscriptions, or in-app purchases through Play from August 2018 to July 2026. A further £100 million is set aside for legal and funding costs.

Lawyers alleged Google abused a dominant position, blocked alternative ways to distribute apps, and charged an unfair commission, usually 30 percent.

The class is opt-out. Canadian developers are not in this class. This is UK-only money.

No payments until the tribunal approves. See the official FAQ and the claim site.

The same fee fight has already moved Play’s rules elsewhere. Epic Games and Google struck a landmark deal to open up Android, then an $800 million surprise partnership. Fortnite is set to return to the Play Store as Google rolls out lower service fees and expanded billing.

Those fee cuts are staggered on Google’s own Play Console calendar.

The EEA, the UK, and the US got the new fees and expanded billing on June 30, 2026. Australia and Japan follow on September 30, 2026. South Korea is December 31, 2026. The rest of the world, which includes Canada, is September 30, 2027.

When the UK, the EU, Australia, and the US get Play fee cuts first, Canada has sat in the later bucket.