The top price limit is now dramatically higher for paid apps in the Google Play store, with some apps costing a whopping $400 in the U.S.
Google Play is packed with free apps of all sorts, but it also has paid apps to satisfy more needs, preferences and niches. Up until now, those paid apps usually came with decent price tags between one and five dollars, but they did have a higher top price limit: $200.
That hefty price tag was typically reserved for in-app purchases (IAP) for freemium games or other such content, but you could rarely see something priced at $200.
Nevertheless, Google has now doubled that top price limit for Play Store apps in the U.S., raising it to a stellar $400. Google updated the developer support page for Play Store paid apps to reflect the new changes, and it seems the top price limit is now higher in all markets, not just the U.S. In nearly all markets where paid apps are available, the top limit exploded to become two, if not three times higher.
In Mexico, for instance, the top price limit for paid apps on Google Play increased from MXN 2,500 to MXN 7,000. In India Google raised the limit from INR 16,000 to INR 26,000, in Brazil it pushed the limited from BRL 500 to BRL 1,500, while Indonesia saw its paid apps price limits soar from IDR 2,200,000 to IDR 5,500,000. Turkey, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates see stellar jumps as well, as do many others. These are just some of the latest changes in top pricing, but the list goes on.
Most actual apps will likely never hit these top price limits, but some apps or in-app purchases could reach those hefty amounts. IAP generally goes up to the top limit, which suggests that Android games from EA, Gamevil, Rovio, King and others could soon sport $400 price tags for some options.
With these newly-implemented changes, it might be a good idea to be extra careful when it comes to apps that might require in-app purchases or some type of subscription. As for non-IAP purchases, the current trove of paid apps is hardly that sophisticated and complex as to warrant a jaw-dropping $400 price tag on Google Play, but you never know.
