Revision 732551 of Publishing your app for profit

<div class="summary">
<p>Creating Web Apps is not only fun; it's also a great way to turn your passion into revenue! This article sumarizes how you publish app using various monetization models, looks at refunds, and provides an introduction to how transaction are handled in various countries.</p>
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<p>{{draft}}The <a class="link-https" href="https://marketplace.firefox.com/">Firefox Marketplace</a> is an outstanding <span class="author-g-nr3obl52nj9jj0h7 i">way to globally monetize both premium and freemium apps. Mozilla has worked with partners to create a system that is easy for both you and end users to navigate. Mozilla connects you with Bango and Boku to offer credit cards to a global audience and the convenience of direct carrier billing in a growing number of markets, which is also helpful for users who don't have credit cards. (check numbers -&gt;) Mozilla currently supports 14 local currencies through credit cards and has Direct Carrier Billing in 6 countries. The countries which are not locally supported default to USD for global coverage.</span></p>

<div class="note">
<p><strong>Note</strong>: If you're looking for more information on monetization models or advice on which one to use, check out <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Prepare/Choosing_your_business_model">Choosing your business model. </a>The <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/FAQ#Payments">payments section of the Marketplace FAQ</a> provides answers to many common questions about Marketplace payments.</p>
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<h2 id="How_to_...">How to ...</h2>

<h3 id="Release_a_premium_app">Release a premium app</h3>

<p>To create a premium app you need to set it so it's installed from Firefox Marketplace. Then include code to verify a receipt issued by Marketplace, to make sure the app has been paid for before allowing it to run. For more information, see the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/App_payments_guide">App payments guide</a>.</p>

<p>To setup an app as premium (paid) you first identify it as Paid in the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Submit/Load_your_app#Monetization">initial (monetization)</a> section of the Submit an App page. You then <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Pricing/Payment_Accounts">create an account with one or more payment providers</a>. Once this is done you can select a <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/App_pricing">price point</a> for your app. Bear in mind that currently only the Firefox OS distribution option supports paid apps, because they need to be properly installed and verified by the Marketplace.</p>

<h3 id="Release_a_promote_as_upgrade_app">Release a promote as upgrade app</h3>

<p>For this approach you obviously need two apps — the free one and the premium app you'll promote as an upgrade.</p>

<p>Once your apps are ready, first add the free version of the app to Firefox Marketplace, then the premium version. While submitting the premium app select the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Pricing/Promote_as_upgrade_to_free_version">promote as upgrade to free version</a> option at the bottom of the <strong>Compatibility &amp; Pricing</strong> page.</p>

<h3 id="Release_a_freemium_with_in-app_payments">Release a freemium with in-app payments</h3>

<p>You have two options for adding in-app payments to your apps <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/In-app_payments_section/fxPay_iap">fxPay</a> and <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/In-app_payments_section/mozPay_iap">mozPay</a>, the principal difference between the two options is that fxPay works without the need for your own server, while mozPay requires you to have a server to store transaction receipts.</p>

<p>In simple terms development of your app involves defining a number of in-app products you have for sale, reading those products into your app, providing a purchase 'button', and validating the receipt when the product is 'consumed' to ensure it was validly purchased. Full details on the coding required is provided in the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/In-app_payments_section/Introduction_In-app_Payments">In-app payments</a> section.</p>

<p>To setup an app with in-app purchases in Firefox Marketplace, you first identify it as Free in the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Submit/Load_your_app#Monetization">initial (monetization)</a> section of the Submit an App page (noting that you will do this for a stub app before development starts to get a API key for mozPay or load in-app products for fxPay). You then <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Pricing/Payment_Accounts">create an account with one or more payment providers</a>, before publishing your app. Bear in mind that currently the Firefox OS distribution option only supports apps with in-app payments, because they need to be properly installed and verified by the Marketplace.</p>

<h3 id="Releasing_an_app_with_in-app_advertising">Releasing an app with in-app advertising</h3>

<p>Mozilla has no special relationship with any advertising network, so you are free to choose the ad network or networks. You will need to consult the developer resources from your chosen network to get full details of the development process, but in general the process is likely to involve: getting a key that will identify to the network that an app has been displayed or clicked in your app, and coding the ads into your app.</p>

<p>To publish on Firefox Marketplace you now simply identify it as Free in the <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Publishing/Submit/Load_your_app#Monetization">initial (monetization)</a> section of the Submit an App page and compete the apps details. There are no special steps to follow, compared to posting a free app without in-app adverts.</p>

<h2 id="Refunds">Refunds</h2>

<p>Where the user has purchase your app, refunds may be authorized by Mozilla, the payment processor, or the mobile network operator if a user requests a refund. These refunds will be authorized according to our refund policy in compliance with local consumer laws, the mobile operator's refund policy, and credit card refund policies.</p>

<div class="warning">
<p>In-app purchases are not refundable through Mozilla.</p>
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<p>If an app purchase is refunded, its receipt is invalidated. Therefore, you should always <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/Apps/Publishing/Validating_a_receipt">validate receipts</a> to ensure proper licensing of any instance of an app. Apps that receive an abnormal volume of refund requests may be investigated by Mozilla.</p>

<div class="note">
<p><strong>Note</strong>: While we encourage apps using in-app payments to be free for download, it's possible to have a paid app that also uses in-app payments.</p>
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<h2 id="Pricing_and_handling_payments">Pricing and handling payments</h2>

<p>It is all well and good using the right code in your apps, and verifying apps through the Marketplace, but you might be wondering how those payments are actually handled across different regions around the world.</p>

<p>Each app listed in the Firefox Marketplace are sold by the payment provider, who is the merchant of record and is responsible for processing the transaction, collecting sales taxes and value added taxes (VAT), ensuring compliance with local consumer regulations, disbursing funds, processing refunds, and performing other duties of a merchant. Mozilla is providing the venue where the buyers (app users) and sellers (app developers) come together, but it is not a party to the transactions. <a href="https://www.bango.com">Bango</a> and <a href="https://www.boku.com/">Boku</a> are the payment provider for Firefox Marketplace.</p>

<p>A payment processor handles the transaction between the buyer (app user) and seller (app developer), including matters such as credit card processing. Payment processors typically charge a fee for each transaction for providing this service. Developers need to create an account with each payment processor through the <a href="https://marketplace.firefox.com/developers/">Firefox Marketplace Developer Hub</a>.</p>

<p>In order to support the operation of the Firefox Marketplace, improve our apps platform, and advance <a class="external" href="https://www.mozilla.org/about/">our mission</a>, Mozilla and its partners take a share of each transaction and pays the entire transaction fee out of its share. Currently, developers keep 70% of each app purchase or in-app purchase that uses the Marketplace (after VAT and fees, which are included in the end user price). Mozilla and its partners receive 30%.</p>

<p>The Firefox Marketplace aims to support as many countries, languages, and currencies as possible. We would like to be able to support a localized version of the Marketplace and allow payments to be made to and from each country.</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Prepare/Choosing_your_business_model">Choosing your business model</a> for details on the monetization options offered in Firefox Marketplace and advice on choosing the right one for your app.</li>
 <li>Our <a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/App_pricing">App Pricing</a> guide contains more information on what price points are used, and how the pricing works with regards to credit cards, taxes, etc.</li>
 <li><a href="/en-US/Marketplace/Monetization/Payments_Status">Payments status</a> looks at what countries currently have app payments available in them, what exchange rate is used, and what else you need to be aware of in each region.</li>
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