Paytm has introduced a Mini App Store within its digital payments app, as the company announced on Monday. This move comes shortly after tech entrepreneurs in India advocated for a national app store, although Paytm’s approach differs. Instead of offering native apps and developer tools, Paytm is providing links to progressive Web apps (PWAs), which are lightweight apps that can run in a web browser without requiring installation. Currently, the Mini App Store has a limited number of apps available, but Paytm intends to list 300 services in the near future.
According to Paytm’s press release, the Mini App Store is designed to assist small developers and businesses in India in creating cost-effective and easily developable apps using HTML and JavaScript. These apps open within a window inside the Paytm app itself, and Paytm has stated that listings will be free of charge. Paytm will also offer developers free payment options, including Paytm Wallet, Paytm Payments Bank, and UPI. However, it’s worth noting that a two percent additional fee is applied for credit card payments. For developers, Paytm has provided a dashboard for analytics, payment collection, and various marketing tools to enhance user engagement.
The Mini App Store by Paytm is currently in its beta testing phase and has garnered over 12 million visits in September. It currently hosts a few apps like AQI Monitor, EMI Calculator, MojoPizza, Horoscope, Speedtest, and Unit Converter. Over 300 app-based service providers, including Decathlon, Domino’s Pizza, FreshMenu, Netmeds, NoBroker, Ola, and others, are expected to join the program and make their apps available on the Mini App Store.
While a Twitter user claimed that this feature has been available in the Paytm app for several months, Gadgets 360 has reached out to the company for clarification. We will update this report when we receive a response.
To access the Mini App Store, users can open their Paytm app, go to the home page, click on “Show More,” and select “Mini App Store” from the pop-up menu. This portal enables users to explore, use, and make payments through apps without the need for additional downloads or installations.
Notably, Google recently announced that it would enforce a 30 percent fee for apps on Google Play that do not use its billing system. This move prompted Indian app developers and entrepreneurs to call for a national alternative to Google Play.
In a recent development, Google has postponed the enforcement of the 30-percent in-app commission for Indian developers until March 31, 2022, to allow them enough time to implement the UPI for subscription option available on Google Play. Paytm was one of the key Indian apps removed from Google Play, with Google stating that the removal was due to a violation of content rules rather than the offering of cashbacks and vouchers, as Paytm had claimed.