Google is shutting down paid Chrome extensions sold in the Chrome Web Store , the company reported today. This ensures that developers who are seeking to monetize their extensions will have to do so with other payment-handling schemes.
As of Monday, developers will no longer be able to make new paying plugins, according to Google — though this is cementing a policy that has been in effect since March. And that policy follows a temporary suspension of the publication of paid extensions in January after Google has found an increase in fraudulent transactions that aims to manipulate users.
Google will phase out other features over the coming months, and on February 1st, Google says that current plugins will no longer charge customers using the Chrome Web Store's payment system.
These aren't the only major updates to the extensions that Google has created this year. The company released a series of policy changes in April aimed at minimizing spammy extensions, including banning multiple extensions that do the same, not enabling developers to exploit feedback to try to get better placement for their extension, and preventing extensions that misuse notifications.
