Verizon To Be Removed From Google Play Store carrier billing program
Google Play Store shoppers who bill their purchases through Boost Mobile or Verizon will soon no longer be able to. Verizon subscribers have been emailed about the change which will come into effect starting next month.
Google recently updated its list of participating U.S. carriers that processed billing for Play Store purchases to include just AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular — you can see a previous version that included both Boost and Verizon here.
One Verizon subscriber shared the email he received from Google with Android Police which tells him that carrier billing will no longer be available beginning February 22. He is advised to update his subscriptions and add other forms of payment. Boost Mobile subscribers who use carrier billing presumably got a similar message.
Another recipient posted on the Verizon subreddit saying they spoke to Google customer support and was able to confirm the changes, but was not told why due to “security concerns.”
In some countries, Google Play Store users are able to sign up for carrier billing as an option for paying for app and media purchases without the need for a credit or debit card. In the U.S., the major carriers generally perform credit checks before allowing an account to be opened but will accept bill payments in cash.
UPDATE: 2022/01/24 16:44 EST BY JULES WANG
Boost is back, AT&T is off the list
We’ve just caught an update to the list of participating carriers and it shows that Boost Mobile is back on the list while AT&T joins Verizon off of it.
Google has yet to respond to our request for comment. We’re also reaching out to AT&T and Verizon.
UPDATE: 2022/01/25 16:05 EST BY JULES WANG
All carriers returned to the list, AT&T says it’s all Google’s work
Google has again updated its list of participating carriers to feature AT&T and Verizon, bringing it back to normal.
An AT&T spokesperson told us that the carrier currently supports Play Store billing and that questions as to why it was excluded should be directed to Google.
Verizon has acknowledged our request for comment. Google has not responded.
UPDATE: 2022/01/26 21:02 EST BY JULES WANG
Google and Verizon are officially cutting ties
After days of seemingly random edits, it sounds like this will be the last update from Google on the help page. Verizon is still on the list of supported carriers at the moment, but a new caution box tells readers that it will no longer bill for Play Store purchases this month.
We’d wish to get clarification from Google on how that jives with the February 22 date it gave to current users, but we have not heard from the company throughout these developments.
Verizon did just get back to us, though, with this statement:
Google’s statement [on the help page] is correct and stands as our statement, too. However, this is not due to any “security reason.” It’s a business decision and we can’t comment on contracts with our partners.
A Google representative reportedly told one Redditor that they could not discuss why the change was made due to “security concerns.”
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