For those who want to give something back, Google is giving them the solution.
The company launches a feature for users in which they can go to its Play Store app or play.google.com/donate, and donate to a number of non-profits and charities. The company is calling it 'Giving Season on Play'.
The initial participating nonprofits include:
- American Red Cross.
- charity: water.
- Doctors Without Borders USA.
- Girls Who Code.
- International Rescue Committee.
- Room to Read.
- Save the Children.
- UNICEF.
- World Food Program USA.
- World Wildlife Fund US.
The charities cover a number of categories, including improving education, supporting children, improving access to food and clean water, offering medical treatment, and more.
Available for Android phone users, Google said that a 100 percent of the donations will go to users' chosen organizations. Here, Google waives its traditional 30 percent fee for apps and in-app purchases, as part of this program.
Google Play’s business developer manager Maxim Mai, said that:
"It’s quick, easy and 100 percent of your contributions go directly to the organizations you choose."
“We’re inspired by the many ways that the Play community shares resources, supports each other and creates positive change. We hope this update offers a way to help other communities outside of our own in need."
Mai continued by saying that the donation feature is not only for U.S-based users, as it is also for users in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
Users in these countries can contribute to causes they believe in using the same payment methods they've associated with their Google accounts.
Google isn't the first that allows users to donate.
Previously, Apple also has this feature on its App Store as a way to process mobile donations to nonprofits, especially during natural disasters. Apple has also opened up its Apple Pay for Donations API to developers back in 2016 so that charities could receive contributions using the company’s payments service.
Typically, this is done for the Red Cross
This is a contrast to Google, which supports several charities at once. However, also unlike Apple, Google didn't say anything about allowing third-party developers to collect donations, at least initially.