Android Vs Apple [IAP pricing discrepancies]

Unknown

OK, so i'm the kind of player that uses 2 devices to play the game, i have my Android Phone and i have my iPad, I also am the kind of player that doesn't mind spending a little bit of money here and there on the game to buy HP...

but however recently i was looking at the cost of things, and to my surprise i saw this:



now that is a huge discrepancy between both google play store and the itunes store.... I'm not sure if this is the case with other countries...

all i know is that i know who i'd be making purchases with...

Mod edit: Revised subject line for clarity. -DayvBang

rossmon

Using Gift Cards Cross Platform - A Guide.
Check here if you are using the more expensive one.

Pongie

and if you factor in that itunes gift cards normally go on sale regularly for 20-30% then it's kind of the same.
Though it's best to wait for those 40-50% sales.

see https://www.giftcardsonsale.com.au/

Site used to be itunecardsonsale but apple got involved and they had to change their name. Suits it more now because they do list other giftcards too. Though I have noticed the google play ones never being more than 30%, mostly 15-20%.

JamieMadrox

In Canada the prices are $2.29, $5.79, $22.99, $57.99, and $119.99 respectively on both platforms. But....

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

Malcrof

Here is the thread, with the spreadsheet, when the prices were adjusted: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=31919&hilit=price+adjust

also, the apple pricing issue was addressed in there:

"David wrote:

Moore"]

sa261275 wrote:

I've noticed that the iOS prices have gone up for AUD even though the spreadsheet published indicated no change. For instance, logans loonies has gone from AUD 24.99 to 30.99. Quite a big jump - could you please clarify why this is so?

Likely an Apple adjustment. We set pricing tiers and Apple makes adjustments.

OneLastGambit

Jamie Madrox wrote:

In Canada the prices are $2.29, $5.79, $22.99, $57.99, and $119.99 respectively on both platforms. But....

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

#

Apple are cheeky charging sales tax when they regularly dodge paying tax in every single country they trade in. Glad to be an android user, it doesn't surprise me that there is a discrepancy

moogles85

Apparently if you are buying Apple software they assume you're going to be willing to shell out even more for their apps as well.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

Zen808

OneLastGambit wrote:

Jamie Madrox wrote:

In Canada the prices are $2.29, $5.79, $22.99, $57.99, and $119.99 respectively on both platforms. But....

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

#

Apple are cheeky charging sales tax when they regularly dodge paying tax in every single country they trade in. Glad to be an android user, it doesn't surprise me that there is a discrepancy

Apple doesn't "charge" sales tax. The state forces Apple to pay sales tax, based on Apple's physical presence in the state (ie, Apple Stores). Technically, Google is avoiding paying sales tax on those sales by not having a physical presence; they shift the burden of paying the tax to the consumer (yes, technically you are a tax evader if you don't give the state their excise tax fir that purchase). If Google were to ever open up Android Shops in all fifty states, then they, too, would have to start collecting sales taxes.

Malcrof

Zen808 wrote:

OneLastGambit wrote:

Jamie Madrox wrote:

In Canada the prices are $2.29, $5.79, $22.99, $57.99, and $119.99 respectively on both platforms. But....

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

#

Apple are cheeky charging sales tax when they regularly dodge paying tax in every single country they trade in. Glad to be an android user, it doesn't surprise me that there is a discrepancy

Apple doesn't "charge" sales tax. The state forces Apple to pay sales tax, based on Apple's physical presence in the state (ie, Apple Stores). Technically, Google is avoiding paying sales tax on those sales by not having a physical presence; they shift the burden of paying the tax to the consumer (yes, technically you are a tax evader if you don't give the state their excise tax fir that purchase). If Google were to ever open up Android Shops in all fifty states, then they, too, would have to start collecting sales taxes.

https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Bu ... Excise-Tax

Excise taxes do not apply in this case whatsoever.. Since it is a cross border purchase, there is no tax. That is it. No-one has to pay it unless you live in a spot where Google has a physical presence, they are not evading anything, and not pushing it off to anyone else.

Sucks that Amazon just opened a warehouse in Fl though, now i have to pay tax on Amazon

Zen808

Malcrof wrote:

Zen808 wrote:

OneLastGambit wrote:

Jamie Madrox wrote:

In Canada the prices are $2.29, $5.79, $22.99, $57.99, and $119.99 respectively on both platforms. But....

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

#

Apple are cheeky charging sales tax when they regularly dodge paying tax in every single country they trade in. Glad to be an android user, it doesn't surprise me that there is a discrepancy

Apple doesn't "charge" sales tax. The state forces Apple to pay sales tax, based on Apple's physical presence in the state (ie, Apple Stores). Technically, Google is avoiding paying sales tax on those sales by not having a physical presence; they shift the burden of paying the tax to the consumer (yes, technically you are a tax evader if you don't give the state their excise tax fir that purchase). If Google were to ever open up Android Shops in all fifty states, then they, too, would have to start collecting sales taxes.

https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Bu ... Excise-Tax

Excise taxes do not apply in this case whatsoever.. Since it is a cross border purchase, there is no tax. That is it. No-one has to pay it unless you live in a spot where Google has a physical presence, they are not evading anything, and not pushing it off to anyone else.

Sucks that Amazon just opened a warehouse in Fl though, now i have to pay tax on Amazon

Of course laws vary by state, but a lot of states have changed it to an "excise/use" tax, specifically Because of Amazon. I know Hawaii has, and I don't remember which other states have as well. But even then, nobody pays, because they know it would cost the state more to actually come after them.

My point being, that everybody, whether individual citizen or corporation, will use any loophole they can to not pay taxes, and to call out one as bad while ignoring the rest is disingenuous.

OneLastGambit

Zen808 wrote:

Apple charges sales tax so that $119.99 becomes $135.59
The BEST iTunes card discount you can get in Canada is 20% on a $100 card or $80.
So if you buy cards on sale to get a Atark, you'll pay about the same ($80 + $40 = $120) and have a few bucks leftover.
Bad part is that the 20% deal is only available at Costco and only once or twice a year.

#

Apple are cheeky charging sales tax when they regularly dodge paying tax in every single country they trade in. Glad to be an android user, it doesn't surprise me that there is a discrepancy[/quote]

Apple doesn't "charge" sales tax. The state forces Apple to pay sales tax, based on Apple's physical presence in the state (ie, Apple Stores). Technically, Google is avoiding paying sales tax on those sales by not having a physical presence; they shift the burden of paying the tax to the consumer (yes, technically you are a tax evader if you don't give the state their excise tax fir that purchase). If Google were to ever open up Android Shops in all fifty states, then they, too, would have to start collecting sales taxes.[/quote]

https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Bu ... Excise-Tax

Excise taxes do not apply in this case whatsoever.. Since it is a cross border purchase, there is no tax. That is it. No-one has to pay it unless you live in a spot where Google has a physical presence, they are not evading anything, and not pushing it off to anyone else.

Sucks that Amazon just opened a warehouse in Fl though, now i have to pay tax on Amazon [/quote]

Of course laws vary by state, but a lot of states have changed it to an "excise/use" tax, specifically Because of Amazon. I know Hawaii has, and I don't remember which other states have as well. But even then, nobody pays, because they know it would cost the state more to actually come after them.

My point being, that everybody, whether individual citizen or corporation, will use any loophole they can to not pay taxes, and to call out one as bad while ignoring the rest is disingenuous.[/quote]


Any multibillion dollar company that does not pay taxes in countries in which it trades is bad in my opinion. I personally would not allow any company to trade in my country if they did not pay sales taxes (as many blue chip companies do by incorporating in tax havens). People might say they bring x amount of money to the economy but do they? They come in sell their products then export that money elsewhere. I genuinely don't see why any country would allow it. It's very simple as far as I am concerned - Trade in country: pay tax in country. Instead of taxing the working man to death they could simply collect 5% tax from all the major corporations that avoid it and it would bring in far more money to the economy than taxing working people.

Dayv

Please try to keep this on-topic with regard to Marvel Puzzle Quest. If this devolves into a platform war, it will get locked.

Linkster79

Americans have an unnecessarily complex tax system.