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Subscriptions are the most common way Android apps build recurring revenue, and Google Play handles the billing, renewals, and dunning for you. Setting one up correctly means three things: a well-formed subscription product in Play Console, an integration with the Play Billing Library, and honest screens that show users what they are buying.
Create the subscription in Play Console
Open the subscriptions catalog
In Play Console, select your app and go to the monetization section for subscriptions. Create a subscription with a stable subscription ID, since your app queries this ID at runtime.
Add a base plan
A base plan defines the billing period and renewal rules: weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, or a custom interval, with auto-renewing or prepaid renewal type. Every subscription needs at least one active base plan before users can buy it.
Layer offers on top
Free trials, introductory pricing, and win-back offers are attached to base plans as offers with their own eligibility rules. Offers let you run promotions without creating separate subscriptions.
Set the price and availability
Price the base plan per market, letting Play handle currency conversion, and confirm the countries where the subscription can be sold. Availability of the subscription and availability of the app are configured separately.
Integrate subscriptions in the app
- Query the subscription product and show its localized pricing and renewal terms before purchase.
- Launch the billing flow with the chosen offer token so the correct trial or promotional price applies.
- On purchase, acknowledge within the required window, then grant access.
- Store subscription state you can reconcile later, ideally keyed to the Play purchase token.
- Re-check purchase state on every app start so reinstalls and device changes restore access.
Test with license testers
Add license testers in Play Console and run test purchases with test payment methods. Walk every path: trial to first renewal, cancellation, renewal failure, and upgrade or downgrade between plans. Real device testing matters here more than anywhere else, because the Play Store app drives the entire flow.
Subscription setups go wrong in predictable places: offers attached to the wrong base plan, cancellation instructions missing from the purchase screen, and entitlement logic that survives the happy path only. AppsTestLab reviews the purchase flow and the screens around it as part of a pre-submission audit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the price of an existing subscription?
Yes, you can update pricing on a base plan, and Google requires you to notify existing subscribers before the new price takes effect. Existing subscribers move to the new price when Play applies the change.
Do users cancel subscriptions in my app?
No. On Google Play, users manage and cancel subscriptions through the Play Store subscription screen. Your app should deep-link users there instead of building its own cancellation flow.
What happens when a renewal payment fails?
Play retries the payment through a grace period and, if that fails, can place the subscription in an account hold before eventually revoking it. Your entitlement logic should follow those states rather than assuming access continues forever.
Sources & references
Official Google documentationThese links open Google's official Play Console Help pages used to verify this guide. AppsTestLab guidance is independent and not affiliated with Google.
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