If you’ve bought apps or made in-app purchases on your Android phone over the past seven years, you’ve got money coming. Google agreed to a $700 million payout settlement in a lawsuit claiming they ran the Play Store like a monopoly, and about 102 million people are eligible, and tens of millions will get automatic payouts.

How this lawsuit started

The lawsuit focused on how Google ran the Play Store from 2016. State attorneys general said Google used contracts to stop other app stores from coming preloaded on Android phones. They also claimed Google paid off developers who might’ve built competing stores and made it annoying as hell to download apps from anywhere besides the Play Store.

These practices essentially let Google charge developers up to 30% on every app purchase and in-app transaction. And who paid for that? Yup, you guessed that right: you did. To no one’s surprise, developers passed those costs straight to customers. This made everything from game currency to streaming subscriptions more expensive.

The states argued Google’s control over Android killed competition and left users with fewer options and higher prices. This is also not the only time the public felt that Google killed the competition. The company lost a separate case to Epic Games in 2023, where a jury flat-out said the Play Store was an illegal monopoly. These cases are forcing Google to open up billing and app distribution on Android.

So, who’s actually getting paid?

The good news is that figuring out if you’re eligible is pretty simple . If you bought apps or made in-app purchases through Google Play between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023, you’re probably eligible for a payout. That includes buying games, paying for streaming subscriptions, upgrading to ad-free versions, or buying stuff like in-game currency.

The only real requirement for your payout settlement is that your legal address in your Google Play profile has to be in a US state, territory, or DC. This covers all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. About 102 million people qualify, but the actual payout amounts will vary..

Before you get too excited about the payout amounts and thinking you can quit your job and retire, calm down. Google put $630 million into a fund for users. But after lawyers take their cut and administrative costs get paid, that money gets split among millions of people. This means at the end of the day, eligible users will receive at least $2. If you spent more on Google Play during those seven years, you might get a bit more. But even if you bought a ton of apps and made lots of in-app purchases, you’re potentially looking at around $10 to $20.

To put this in perspective, Google’s various antitrust cases have shown just how much money the Play Store makes. Charging developers up to 30% on every transaction added up to billions every year. This settlement is basically chump change for Google compared to that. This is also why your payout isn’t going to pay your rent.

The states are also getting $70 million separately for penalties and legal costs. However, that money isn’t going to regular users.

How to get your money (It’s easier than you think)

Here’s the best part: most people won’t have to do anything. Google’s settlement folks will handle about 70% of payments automatically. That’s over 71 million people who just have to sit back and wait for the money to show up.

Payout from the settlement goes straight to your PayPal or Venmo account using the email or phone number connected to your Google Play. Starting December 2, 2025, people started getting emails or texts about this. If your Google Play email or phone matches an existing PayPal or Venmo account, the money will be automatically deposited there once the court gives final approval on April 30, 2026. For those don’t have PayPal or Venmo linked to that email or phone, you’ll need to set one up or tell them where else to send it.

Changes are coming

Getting paid by Google is obviously pretty nice. However, Google has to change. Like we said, given how much Google makes from the Play Store just from the cuts it gets from developers, these lawsuit payouts are like a drop in the bucket for them. Even if Google is on the hook for $700 million, that money can be recouped real fast.

The good news is that for the next five years, Google can’t force developers to only use their payment system. In theory, developers can now offer you cheaper prices for their apps and subscriptions if you pay through a different payment processor instead of giving Google their cut.

This is the same kind of outcome that happened after the Epic Games case. As of October 2025, Google Play started allowing other payment options for users in the US. Developers can send customers to payment methods that skip the “Google tax,” which could save anywhere from 15% to 30% on purchases. If you’re paying for subscriptions or constantly buying stuff in mobile games, that adds up fast.

Google also can’t make those exclusive deals with phone makers and carriers anymore. Now those deals are done, it means other app stores like Epic’s actually have a better shot at reaching more people.

This Play Store settlement is just one several mounting legal troubles. The company is fighting cases on multiple fronts right now. Besides the Epic Games verdict, Google lost a separate DOJ case about its search monopoly. That ruling makes Google share search data with competitors and bans those long-term exclusive deals they had with companies like Apple.

We imagine that most Android users will still use the Play Store for their app purchases and in-app subscriptions. Users will probably still perform the majority of their searches with Google. However, the key difference is that they now have more options and alternatives.

So, if you bought anything from Google Play between 2016 and 2023, just keep an eye on your email and texts for messages from PayPal or Venmo. Make sure you can still access whatever email and phone number you have linked to your Google Play account.

We want to iterate again: you’re not going to get rich from this. The average payout is maybe enough for a cheap lunch or a snack. But it’s free money for stuff you already bought, so why not take it? More importantly, the changes Google has to make could actually save you real money over time. Especially if developers start offering better deals through other payment systems.