• Coding

  • Payments from in-app purchases via Lebanese banks

I am new here; hi for all.

Long story short: I am developing two applications: Android and iOS. These applications contain digital items that one can buy (in-app purchases).

What do I mean by in-app purchases?

The kind of in-app purchases that I am talking about are NOT those where I should process their payments, card holder details, etc.. So, I am NOT going to handle payments in any way. However, the kind of in-app purchases that I am talking about are ones where I will use iOS and Android APIs such as the Google Play Billing Library that handles these sorts of billings.

After customers pay for my in-app products, their money that will, originally, be processed and handled by either google or apple must be, then, received by me through a bank account.

As I am Lebanese, I talked to one of the best Lebanese banks and for the first instant, they did not quite understand what I meant, so they issued me to another company that is related to them and that "might" be able to handle these payments through a payment gateway. I am pretty sure that the services they are offering me via this "company" is what Google and Apple are already doing. It looks to me like more money will be deducted from me as this process will be happening twice. It makes no sense to me for a company to handle already handled payments!

Can you, as professionals, help me understand what are Lebanese banks trying to offer me? I am very confused.

If anyone has already published a paid app or an app with in-app purchases without going through all this fuss, please let me know.

As Lebanon is supported by google for merchant accounts, isn't this process supposed to be as easy as opening an account in the desired bank and giving google that account and that's it?
from stackoverflow
You will get paid via your bank account. You need to register a bank account with Google Play Mechanism. After that, you will receive a confirmation amount via email. Enter this amount to verify your Google account, then you can receive money via this bank account. You will receive it once a month. Also, you can check the payment history as well.
I haven’t setup this kind of accounts before, but I think you are overthinking the issue. I believe you need to open a bank account, you will get a number related to this bank account (google IBAN). And when signing up In google/apple form you will be asked for this number or any other security code. In fact, you will need to enter your details not only to get paid, but to pay apple’s 99$/year fee, and google’s one time 25$ fee, before you can actually publish your app on either platforms.

Regards.
NuclearVision thanks for the reply, yeah I also think that it should be the way you said. But I do not know if the banks in Lebanon accept money to come directly from google or apple and I do not think that they are understanding what does it mean that they are the ones handling the processing of the payment from customers. I want to ask you or anyone else if you know someone who tried to get paid from apps in Lebanon?
I would say the concern is not Lebanese banks accepting payments, but Google or Apple accepting to send money to a Lebanese account, and how much will be deducted in fees here.

I am registered on Transferwise, which allows you to open "virtual bank accounts" in many countries (inc. USA) and receive payments. I dont think they support Lebanon.

Payoneer may be a good option. You would get a US account and they send you a card that you can use to withdraw funds.

Please let us know if you find a solution or not.
Thanks rolf for your reply, google and apple stated clearly through their docs that they support Lebanon to receive payments?
Ask your bank for your IBAN and give that to Google and Apple and they will make the transfer using SWIFT which is supported by all Lebanese banks. The worst that could happen is that your bank could call you up and ask you why Apple/Google sent you money. This only happens if you get a significant sum (a few thousand dollars).
You'll be paying fees (25-50$) for each transfer they make.
Samer and all thanks for your reply, all the info you guys provided is completely true and I approve it. Just wanted to ask you if any of you did something similar to receive payments (through other services from google maybe like Admob) and what problems did you face? What bank do you recommend? I am pretty sure that there is some developer in Lebanon that did this and got it working (because there are apps in the playstore that are Lebanese and they offer In App Purchases).