Purchase Testing & Google Play Services

The Basics & Troubleshooting

Testing IAP’s (In App Purchases)

IAP’s are a large part of the monetization of mobile games, and are an important part of the testing process. The following is a general guide to follow when testing IAP’s to ensure proper functionality, as well as some general troubleshooting advice.

The standard process:Each IAP has two main sections to it: the purchasing prompt within the game; (Coin Shop, Disable Ads button etc.) and the purchase and payment confirmation done through iTunes (iOS), or Google Play (Android).

The in-game prompts are anything within the app that will begin a purchasing dialog, and are controlled by the build of the game using art assets and the account logged into the game. The payment confirmation will use the devices account information (iOS example would be the apple ID signed into iTunes).

In game prompts iTunes confirmation

Making IAP’s

● Purchases can be made without spendingreal currency by using Sandbox accounts,or authorized Beta testing accounts (if using Test Flight).

● Sandbox purchasing will only work if the app has sandbox mode enabled, whichmost will if it is still a QA build.

Important considerations while testing IAP’s

1) Ensure that all purchases within the game prompts can be initiated, and completed without issue. If you’re testing a coin store, make sure you purchase each bundle of coins at least once!

2) Ensure that the price of the IAP in the purchase confirmation dialogs match the prices listed in the game. Both values should be the same, but they are set at independant points so there can be discrepancies.

3) Keep in mind while testing in-game stores, that for early builds most of the values being used for the prices and quantities of the bundles you are purchasing are not final. Most values are adjusted shortly before release to fit the games economy; you’re focused on making sure everything works, not if you’re getting a good deal!

Troubleshooting tips for IAP’s

When testing sandbox purchases, permissions are key.Only accounts that are authorized to make purchases on the build that you’re testing, will be able to complete the purchasing process. If purchases are failing, this should be one of the first things you check.

Settings -> iTunes & App Store -> Apple ID

If the account needed to sign in/download the app is not authorized to make purchases, or if the sandbox accounts are having difficulty signing into iTunes from the settings menu (this can happen from pending purchases on the account, or from payment verification issues with iTunes). This workaround can let you sign in to an appropriate account directly through the purchase process.

1) Load the app onto the device using the appropriate account, then launch the game.2) Minimize the app and navigate to the device’s settings menu.3) From here, sign out of the Apple ID on the device.

3)

4) return to the app, and initiate an IAP.5) When prompted, sign in to the appropriate sandbox account, then continue with the purchase.

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Android PurchasingFor the most part, much of what was just covered for IAP’s in iOS also applies to making purchases on an Android device. There are some differences to keep in mind though, mainly in how you determine which account is making the purchase.

● Note that Android devices can be signed into multiple accounts atone time.

Android purchases are completed through Google Play, however if any of the Google platforms on the device are signed into a different google account; it can impede the purchasing process.

● Both screenshots were taken on the same device, but two different accounts are signed into the Google platforms.

Google Play Services (Android)Google Play is a service that allows applications to access any other Google applications such as Maps, Google+, built in Google Play leaderboards and more.

In most cases, only one Google Play account needs to be properly set-up and signed in on the device to handle most installing, testing, and purchasing aspects involved with the app.

Multiple Google Accounts can be ‘active’ on a device at one time, so take care to ensure the proper accounts are being used for testing.

Adding a Google Play account1) On your device, navigate to:

Settings > Accounts > Add Account

2) Select the account type (Google), then enter the account information when prompted.

3) Choose which settings you want to sync with the account. (I recommend only syncing “App Data”).

Adding friends to Google Play- Adding other test accounts as

friends in google play can be an efficient way to quickly, and repeatedly invite the same accounts to game sessions.

- Google play uses Google accounts that are added to your ‘Circles’ to populate your friends list, any account added to your Circles will appear in the Google play invite list.

Adding friends to Google Play- A quick way to add Google Play

accounts to each other’s friends list, is to use the ‘Nearby Players’ option.

- When this is enabled, it allows players in the nearby vicinity to be invited to your game sessions, and friends list.

- Note that both players will need to have their Nearby Players options turned on for them to appear to the other device.

- Selecting the green button beside a player’s name will add them to your circle

Troubleshooting Google Play Accounts

Due to how many accounts can be “Active” on a device at one time, and how many different programs the accounts can be synced to on a single device, many permission errors can occur. The following is a good method to follow for “Clearing” your Google account registry, and eliminating Google Play from the list of possible issues.

1) Begin by removing existing Google accounts from the device. This is done by navigating back to the account screen, selecting the account you wish to delete, then opening the options menu and selecting “Remove account”.

2) Once the accounts have been removed from the device, return to the settings menu and navigate to the Application Manager.

3) Using the Application Manager, navigate to the applications that use Google accounts and select them, then “Clear Cache”. This will clear the applications cached data, and potentially resolve issues caused by pre-existing settings or permissions.

The applications that often resolve issues through this method are:

- Chrome- Drive- Google Play Games- Google Play Store- Google Play Services- Google App

4) Re-add the Google accounts you wish to use, and restart the testing process. If the same issues occur, it is Most Likely not an issue with your Google account(s).

Note: This process can be undesirable on personal devices, as some personal data on the device can be lost (bookmarks, history, saved passwords etc.)