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ComiXology To Stop In App Purchases On iOS And Google Play Purchases On Android. But You Do Get A $5 Voucher.
ComiXology have often boasted on being the No.1 revenue raising App in the Apple App Store every Wednesday.
Today, ComiXology iPhone and iPad customers are being told that the ComiXology app is being retired and they must download a new App and synch their accounts. For future purchases, customers must go through the webstore which, to be frank, is clumsier. It will however deprive Apple of their cut of each purchase, so more money will go to ComiXology and, hopefully, the publisher and/or creators.
Android customers must also download a new version though they will still be able to buy comics in-App (I just checked). However they will not be able to pay through Google Play – for similar reasons.
Here's what the new App looks like now.
I have to say the Cloud/Device is smoother than before in the new App. Even if it will take some downloading work on my part.
As a result of the change, ComiXology is giving all customers a $5 voucher, automatically applied to their account. Here's how they have been responding this morning…
@comiXology Yeah. Screw your very much too! Why do I have to redownload all my comics????
— Chilli (@GutterIsATool) April 26, 2014
.@comiXology You mean AWFUL changes, right? Please update so you can't buy comics anymore. — Matt Groff (@mattlgroff) April 26, 2014
@comiXology I can already see Amazon's influence here. Don't change too much, guys. — teflon (@teflon) April 26, 2014
@comiXology Rare is the moment that I feel the need to express myself in this manner: http://t.co/CEZSf5RBmA
— Seth Robison (@seth410) April 26, 2014
@comiXology maybe mention this BEFORE doing it? Awful changes, going to reduce my impulse buys now. Thanks a lot @amazon
— chrise17 (@chrise17) April 26, 2014
@comiXology maybe mention this BEFORE doing it? Awful changes, going to reduce my impulse buys now. Thanks a lot @amazon — chrise17 (@chrise17) April 26, 2014
@comiXology I get that it is because of the @amazon buyout, but I will not be purchasing anything until @GooglePlay is restored. #badmove — 앤드류 (@acusterx) April 26, 2014
@comiXology great job losing business on iOS. All those impulse purchases I used to buy. Not if I have to go to the web…
— Ben Ehrenreich (@bjehrenreich) April 26, 2014
@comiXology Having to buy through the web site is going to be a huge inconvenience
— Alex Bean (@AlexBeaN7) April 26, 2014
@comiXology Oh dear. I can understand from a business standpoint but poor decision all the same. Back to paper books for me.
— Antony Walton (@antonywalton) April 26, 2014
What some folk may not have realised is that the old App still works. Get past the warning screen and you can read all your old books in the same way as you used to. You just can't buy any more that way…
And also a number of books with Mature Readers content have been hampered by not being available to purchase in App. Now everything, from Sex Criminals to the Smurfs is on an equal playing field…