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Google Play Console – In-App Products Setup Guide

This document explains how to add in-app products in Google Play Console for your app.

Written by Zenler Support

👉 Supported product types in this app:

  • ✅ One-time purchases (Non-Consumable / One-time product)

  • ✅ Subscriptions

  • ❌ Consumable products are NOT supported (do not create them)

Step 1: Log in to Google Play Console

  1. Open a browser and go to Google Play Console

  2. Sign in with your Google account

  3. Select your app from the list

Step 2: Open Monetization Section

  1. In the left menu, click Monetize with Play

  2. You will see:

    • One-time products (for one-time purchases)

    • Subscriptions (for recurring plans)

PART A: Creating a One-Time Purchase (One-time Product)

Use this for lifetime access, single course purchase, or permanent unlocks.

Step A1: Create One-time Product

  1. Go to Monetize with Play → One-time products

  2. You will see a list of existing products (if any)

  3. Click Create one-time product

Step A2: Enter Product Details

Fill the following fields carefully:

  • Product ID ⚠️ (Very Important)

    • Must copy from the Store ID field of Course Details in the Courses tab/section on your school site.

    • You can't change or reuse a product ID after the product has been created

  • Name (shown to users)

    • You can enter the course title here.

  • Description (shown to users)

    • You can enter the course title on your school site here.

Click Next.

Please find below where the above information appears on the App Purchase page UI.

Step A3: Set Pricing

  1. Purchase option ID

    1. This is an internal ID used by Google, users will not see this

    2. You can enter the Store ID with underscores replaced by hyphens and add the -buy suffix.

    3. Example: one_time_course_2222 → one-time-course-2222-buy

  1. Purchase type

    1. Select Buy, do not select Rent

  1. Click Set prices in the Availability and pricing section

  2. Click Bulk edit pricing

  3. Select countries and regions where you want to set pricing

  4. Click Continue

  1. Select the currency

  2. Enter the default price

  3. Click Apply

  4. Google will automatically convert it to other currencies

Step A4: Activate the Product

  1. Review all entered details

  2. Click Activate

⚠️ Product will remain inactive until activated.

⚠️ If the automatically converted price falls below the minimum allowed amount for a specific country or region, please adjust it to the minimum value.

Once the product is successfully activated, its status will appear as Active.

PART B: Creating a Subscription

Use this for monthly / yearly plans, membership, or recurring access.

⚠️ Subscriptions require creating a base plan.

Step B1: Create a Subscription

  1. Go to Monetize with Play → Subscriptions

  2. You will see a list of existing products (if any)

  3. Click Create subscription

Step B2: Enter Subscription Details

Fill the following:

  • Product ID ⚠️ (Cannot be changed later)

    • Must copy from Store ID field of Course Details in the Courses tab/section on your school site

    • You can't change or reuse a product ID after the product has been created

  • Name (shown to users)

    • You can enter the course title on your school site here.

Click Create.

  • In the app, Name and Description are displayed as shown below.

Step B3: Create a Base Plan

  1. Inside the subscription, click Add base plan

  1. Base plan ID ⚠️ (Cannot be changed later)

    • Users won’t see it. It’s an internal label , but don’t use the Store ID

    • Enter the Store ID with underscores replaced by hyphens and add the -renewal type (weekly,monthly,...) suffix.

    • Example: subs_course_2222 → subs-course-2222-monthly

  2. Select:

    • Renewal type (Auto-renewing or Pre-paid . Installment not support)

    • Billing period (Weekly / Monthly / Yearly - choose the one from the list)

  • In the app, base plans will appear as shown below.

Step B4: Set Subscription Pricing

  1. Click Set prices

  1. Select countries/regions to update exchange rates

  2. Click Set price

  3. Choose the default currency and enter the price for the base plan

  1. For tax-inclusive countries, the final price will include taxes

  2. Click Set price

  1. Choose the currency and set the price

  2. Click Update

  1. Click Save

  1. Google will auto-convert currencies

⚠️ If the automatically converted price falls below the minimum allowed amount for a specific country or region, please adjust it to the minimum value.

Step B5: Activate Subscription

  1. Review subscription and base plan

  2. Click Activate

  1. Navigate to previous screen

  2. Make sure the status in Base plan and offers section is Active with a green tick

⚠️ Subscription will not work unless the status is active.

Important Rules & Tips

  • ❌ Do NOT create Consumable products

  • ⚠️ Product IDs and Base Plan IDs cannot be edited later

  • Product IDs must be exactly the same as the Store ID

  • Products will NOT work until:

    • App is published

    • Products are activated

  • To sell a course on both Android and iOS, the course needs to be added separately in each store. After purchase on one platform, the user can access the course on both platforms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Forgetting to activate products or base plans

  • Expecting products to work before app approval

Final Checklist Before Testing / Launch

✔ Product or Subscription created

✔ Pricing added

✔ Product / Base plan activated

✔ IDs are exactly the same as course’s Store ID

Next Step

Once this is completed, the app team will configure and test purchases.

👉 Do not change prices or IDs later unless instructed.

Purchase Information Availability

At present, detailed purchase information for in-app purchases and subscriptions made through the mobile app is not displayed in the Web UI. To view complete purchase and subscription details—such as transaction history, renewal status, cancellations, refunds, pricing, and regional information—please refer to the respective store dashboards: Google Play Console for Android purchases and App Store Connect for iOS purchases.

The Web UI currently reflects only the user’s course access and enrollment status.. Store-specific financial and transaction-level details remain managed and reported directly by the app stores.

⚠️ To sell a course on both Android and iOS, the course needs to be added separately in each store. After purchase on one platform, the user can access the course on both platforms.

Important: Store ID & In-App Purchases (Please Read Carefully)

Each course has a Store ID shown in the Courses > Course > Course Details tab. This Store ID is mandatory for selling the course in the mobile app.

✅ What you must do

  • If you want a course to be paid in the mobile app, you must create a one-time purchase or subscription product in Google Play Console.

  • The Product ID must be exactly the same as the Store ID shown for the course.

  • Do not create or use any other Product ID.

❌ What happens if you use a different Product ID

  • The app will not recognize the product.

  • The course will still appear in the app, but it will be treated as a FREE course.

  • Users will be able to access it without payment.

One-Time Setup Rule (Very Important)

  • Once you create a product in the store (Google Play Console) using a Store ID:

    • That Store ID cannot be reused for another course

    • That Store ID cannot be changed later

Subscription vs One-Time Purchase

  • If you create a subscription for a course:

    • You cannot later change it to a one-time purchase.

  • If you create a one-time purchase:

    • You cannot later change it to a subscription.

Please Decide Carefully Before Creating the Product

Before creating the in-app product, make sure you have finalized:

  • Whether the course should be FREE or PAID

  • If paid, whether it should be:

    • One-time purchase, or

    • Subscription

Once created, this choice cannot be reversed for the same course.

Summary

  • ✅ Always use the Store ID as the Product ID

  • ❌ Do not reuse or invent Product IDs

  • ⚠️ Product type (one-time vs subscription) is final

Additional app screens for reference:

When multiple base plans are available, they will be displayed in the app as shown below

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