Get ready to pay more for apps on Windows Store from next month

By Abhishek Baxi
last updated

Microsoft will update the price tier values for Windows Store during the week of April 13, 2015. Windows Store supports 96 tiers that publishers can use to price paid apps and in-app products. These price tier values are updated periodically to maintain consistency across currencies, accounting for changes in foreign exchange rates, taxes, and other geographic pricing considerations. The information comes through an email Microsoft has sent out to developers, alerting them of the change.

Beginning April 13, the price tier values will be updated and while the US Dollar (USD) price in each tier will remain the same, the prices in all other currencies adjusted relative to the USD price.

For example, if the price for a paid app published in the United States is USD 2.99, the equivalent product price in China is 18 CNY at the moment. After the update next month, while the product price in US will stay the same at USD 2.99, the equivalent price would change to CNY 18.50.

The currencies with the most substantial price changes (20% or more due to foreign exchange rates) include:

  • Ukraine UAH
  • Denmark DKK
  • Norway NOK
  • Venezuela VEF
  • Russia RUB
  • Poland PLN
  • Sweden SEK
  • Colombia COP
  • Argentina ARS
  • Chile CLP
  • Hungary HUF
  • Indonesia IDR
  • Romania RON
  • United Kingdom GBP
  • Czech Republic CZK
  • Mexico MXN

If you are a developer, these price tier value changes will take place automatically, and there would be no action required on your part. Of course, I recommend you review the updated prices for your paid apps and in-app products in Dev Center (opens in new tab).

Source: Microsoft Dev Center (Email)

Abhishek Baxi
Abhishek Baxi
117 Comments
  • Good for devs. But more payment options should be implemented.
  • Ya like u care
  • Do you..?
    I care because much of my family and friends are devs.
  • What other options? Pay by CC, Carrier, or MS account card......
  • Can't pay by carrier in most countries.
  • I have the option to pay via PayPal
  • Can anyone NOT pay by PayPal?? I'm serious, I don't know. That would be completely ideal as a universal way to pay. Could even be partnered up with MS and blitz market it and DONE..
  • Carrier
  • Already paying much, and us $ cost,more man.
  • The devs don't get any more money. In fact, no one gets any more money - Microsoft just stops losing money on the foreign currency exchange rates. The headline is very misleading, but the article talks about how the exchange rates are adjusted periodically. The dollar is strong right now, so Microsoft has to charge more in foreign currency in order to pay developers correctly. Imagine if, as a developer, you started getting $.90 instead of $1 for your app just because of the change in exchange rates?
  • Plus xy=z
  • Well that would be a perfectly reasonable way to do it too, the upside would them benefit you if it went the other way. Most other industries are like that, if you publish a book on kindle you bear the foreign currency risk. In this case part of that 30% you're using to MS is insurance against currency fluctuation. Personally I'd rather bear the risk myself and not pay extra.
  • Not so much, devs have to leave 30% to Microsoft + tax passed from 15% to 22%.... So subtract 55%, than subtract again local taxes (50% in Italy = 22.5% is the net profit).
    I really hope Microsoft will consider the option to reduce its 30%, WP market share is still quite low, a 20% would attract more devs, and allow current devs to invest more in their windows apps...
  • They SHOULD do this for developers! Especially to get NEW developers! Or even take 10%! or something like that for 1 year for all developers. Then after that it'll go up. More apps in WP store. More users will be happy and spend money. More people will own a WP. More market share for MS. Yes, they'll take a hit in the beginning, but they'll make it back just in licensing if WP really launches will with WP 10!
  • What other option do you need? Debit card works for me here in India..
  • Carrier
  • Shit!!!! :(
  • so for everyone with Euros it should become cheaper, since the Euro is quite poor right now and was quite valuable months or years ago. i remember 1 Euro being equal to about 1.50$. now its something like 1.10$ per Euro.   or do i understand this wrong?
  • You're right. 8)
  • The price in Euros will go up, because it takes more Euros to equal the U.S. dollar price now.
    The reason for the price increases in so many currencies is due to the dollar being strong right now.
  • It is not cheaper in Europe now its the other way round. If an app costs 2$ a year ago you could buy this with ca 1,7€ now we have to pay 1,9€ to get sth which costs 2$
  • Except Microsoft has always used the 1€=$1 in their store pricings. Which means that we suckers in Europe have been paying a lot more during the time Euros were worth almost double the dollar. If an app was 2 dollars, it would be sold for 2 euros in Europe. Though in fact, for every 2 dollars made in the US market, they'd be making 3.5/4 dollars in Euros. So I don't expect prices to go down or up. Although if as usual the US wasn't benefited by Microsoft, we'd now see prices lower in Europe to compensate the prior extortion.   All we can hope, though, is that those stupid commies in Greece stop acting like entitled arseholes and abide by EU rules or get out. It's their government that's been making the Euro crash as it has. No one else. This time we can't even blame American bankers for this.
  • I'd imagine theres more taxes in the socialist EU than in America so that's where the extra money is coming from
  • Taxes (VAT) on average within the EU is 20%. A price of €1,99 is including those taxes. How is it in the US? Is the quoted price including taxes and what is the average tax in the 50 or so states?
  • The $1.99 in US does not include taxes as there is no national sales tax, only local (state, city, etc). So sales tax various greatly by where you live. Where I live, it is about 7%. So, a $1.99 app costs $2.13.
  • Ypu want to get compensated for being charged more? Microsoft is usomg €1=$1 because of taxes. You dont understand taxes do you?
  • Tax isn't 50-100% though. Learn economics.
  • That's exactly what I was thinking about. For years we paid way too much when the Euro was strong and they never changed pricing during that long period.
  • Don't Microsoft funnel most of the European sales through Ireland to avoid paying taxes. So shouldn't the do it relative to the euro?
  • Yea, because Ireland has low tax rates and a low level of privacy protection. So Facebook has also it's European Homebase located in Ireland.
  • The €uro is falling against the dollar so we have to pay more, get ready for this ;) Euro was a nice idea but it's going to be crap.
  • Once I release my app as universal, im making it $1:50
  • I'm finding myself not downloading any trials even, unless they're Universal apps.
  • So what if an app contains ads without trial?
  • Adds are no dealbreaker, the only thing i dislike is beeing forced or reminded to do a ( mostly 5 star) rating.
    Everyone is entitles to make some money. Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • The rating is helpful so we know honestly what goes on when other people uses our app. My app is revolved around feedback and truthful reviews to make better apps for you. There's no harm or trying to annoy the user.
  • Zack, what's you app?
  • Search the store for "ZAD Apps", that's my developer name :).
  • Yeah, if I get bigger to rate too often, the rating his down.
  • Paid with ads and no trial? No thanks. But I like the model: Ads + free = good for those who don't want to spend money, or that want test the app. Paid + adfree = People who like to support the developer and likes the clean look.  With trial is usually a good idea! :) What app are you going to launch?
  • That'll do :)
  • What about if it has limited in-app purchase?
  • Zack.. What I'm mostly trying to say is that if the app/game is good, I would pay for it to be ad free, again depending. That said,
    I like the Hill Climb Racing & 3D Zombie Wars models. In app ads & purchases are there, but unobtrusive, so the Dev still gets $. What I would like to see is a setup where apps/games are available for either & other. An In-App purchase for real $ and/or virtual $ ( would take a long time to garner that much, and a long time means more ad $) would make it truly Universal and sync seamlessly across devices., so as you go from screen to screen to screen your experience is the same, like One Note. My favorite games I have on phone, tab and PC. But they don't sync, so I only play on the one device I've gotten farthest on. So make an app/game that is available with ads for every screen, and charge a $ to have it be ad free and truly universal.
  • That's good..!
  • Gud move by the way
  • Portugal?!
  • As a Brit, we have come to expect large price increases.
  • As do I, a Dane
  • As does nearly everyone in Europe :/
  • I'm quite surprised Microsoft isn't changing the Euro pricings, but hey, I'm obviously not complaining. We Europeans have had enough of the $1=€1 system for electronic goods.
  • Haha it could be worse $1=£1 ... The Apple way
  • The list of countries in the article covers increases of 20% or more. The Euro prices will increase too I'd imagine, but not by quite as much.
  • Haha nothing happens in Finland :p
  • India is not listed here :)
  • Be happy that it's not here in the list.
  • In India ppl harldy pay for apps. Hardlyyyy
  • If carrier billing is brought to more operators this will change and see a steady rise
  • Sikke noget piss
  • It's a chance that i already have all the apps i need, i did not buy any app since a very long time.... I have try some or get those free !!! Is this happen to Android and IOS too ??
  • Oh!! This would help so much to the market share!! Well done!
  • Finally my country is mentioned in an article. Definitely not good news though. :(
  • I thought it was like this from the beginning
  • Oh yes
  • Glad to see that nothing really changing for the loonie
  • Perfect. Increase the cost of apps, while at the same time, developers are removing them. I love my 920 and have had it since release day. If I take off my glasses and be honest, I am getting a little frustrated with the lack of and removing of apps. If I ever did change from Windows Phone, I know I would for sure miss my live tiles.
  • I'm curious why no one, including MS, brags about being able to pin tiles too. The biggest thing keeping me on WP right now is being able to pin a specific website or even a specific note in OneNote to my start screen...
  • Because that's coming among all OSes. Both iOS and Android can put a link to a website on their home screens. Tough to use a feature everyone has as a selling point.
  • I'm in the same boat as you. With no good phones in the near horizon, I looked around at iOS and Android, but I thought I couldn't bear to lose live tiles. Hopefully things turn around, hopefully...
  • Waiting for the 'when in India?' comment...
  • Oh when it comes to money those tight wads will keep their trap shut.
  • Well, we are a country that loves freebies & working on a minimal budget... Like the mars mission
  • Your government should be ashamed of its space program and military spending. What a waste when there are so many social issues that desperately need dealing with.
  • LOL! That same country waste more money in IPL and bollywood films, then MARS mission! That same country have 7th largest rich people`s!!
  • One of these days I might come up with an app idea that's actually worth paying for, and stuff like this will make any difference to me. So far, everything I have built is free.
  • Great! I am sooo much money I don't know what to do?   It's okay to take money from customer since WP is so much growing. There is no need to hold back. Charge whatever price you want to charge on customers.
  • Hmm, the GBP is just as strong as ever against the USD and yet our prices are going up by at least 20%??? Can someone explain this to me as I'm obviously missing something?
  • Over the past nine months it's fallen pretty linearly from over 1.7 to below 1.5 GBP/USD.
  • Lol not in India even after the new BUDGET plan by Narendra Modi
  • I wonder where the "what about India" crowd is today?  jk
  • Yeah that's what I've been scanning for in the comments section. Which numpty says it... :S
  • They don't care about app purchases :/
  • They are here, You can see!
  • FWIW, devs also have the option to charge any price they'd like. For instance, I can charge $1 in the US and make it free in Europe. I'm sure the devs in Europe/India/anywhere else can charge $1 in the US and any range they'd like for their local currency. This is just saying, for devs in the US, they are changing the base price structure across the globe to keep up with exchange rates. Quite frankly, I'm a little stunned this isn't changed more often. I deal with a company in Canada pretty regularly and my prices can change weekly sometimes.
  • Quality apps??? Where??
  • I agree.
  • Tbf £1 buys you about $0.15 less than it did a year ago... I don't know how often they update their pricing. I'm surprised they don't do their exchange rates dynamically actually.
  • They should
  • BYE, BYE WINDOWS PHONE, HELLO ANDROID I'M COMING!!!!!
  • I had Android, I may miss a few apps but I will never go back! If Windows phone dies I will go apple but that would require MS to say windows phone is dead and they are no longer going to work on or support it!
  • See ya. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
  • Doesn't sound like great news...
  • I only get the free apps at Windows store or if i get a free offer I'll take it too.
  • The exchange rate should automatically adjust not sure why it doesn't
  • So this had nothing to do with us in the US? Cool carry on.
  • In Canada I hope it doesn't change too much... USD -> CAD is horrible for us right now
  • Oh no Euro..
  • Thanks abhishek!
  • Who pays ?? Lol
  • I do. I support devs who work hard.
  • Wen in India ???
  • I could pay for snapchat
  • YES! No India in the list. :p
  • It's a shame that here in Mexico a lot of people doesn't even pay por almost anything in the App Store (call it Windows Phone, iOS, Android), just lookin' in the coments sections of some App in the Store and if the App is a Pay for App, the people say that they should put it free :/ here in Mexico almost anyone wants free Apps, and High Quality Apps too, and for free :I
  • What a misleading title
  • Really? Even the Chinese Yuan example didn't help you?
  • Wow not Australia? I don't believe it.
  • Paying for apps on the Windows Phone?
    What apps?
  • Microsoft can't even bring Cortana or Xbox Music to my country, but they can increase prices.... fuck you MS, stop kicking your non-US users in the nuts
  • I haven't found an app yet where I need to pay for. Only apps like the WPCentral app which I wouldn't mind sponsoring. Unfortunately paying for apps isn't easy. In Ukraine they're is no carrier billing, so you are stuck to PayPal. PayPal has its own issues and thus like many others I cannot use it. I would rather have some EU paying system similar to iDeal than any CC payment system where high royalties are payed to the CC companies instead of the owner of the product. Carrier billing should be made much easier.
  • That sucks.  Why can't you use a service like Paypal?  Also, can you get Microsoft gift cards in the Ukraine?
  • I expect to see Australian apps cheaper to reflect the weaker Australian dollar....... but..... I wont be shocked if they continue to rip us as do many companies, charging even higher than the USD value.
  • great news for developers.... Good JOB MS!
  • Argentina... Of course... Lucky me :(
  • Add carrier, Ill buy it all :D
  • What
  • Bullshit store!
    Paying more for worse and non trending apps and game which android and iOS people has already used that.
  • Interesting. I would like to buy apps from next month right now even if I have to pay more.