The service, Google One Pass, is an embeddable e-commerce system that allows publishers to sell access to their digital content more or less on their own terms. Publishers can sell subscriptions (including discounted or free access to existing print subscribers), metered or freemium access, or individual articles separately or as a bundle on their websites and mobile apps. Google will also share subscriber information with publishers, something they have long sought from Apple.
Although the service should generate some Google love among publishers, it will do little to help them offer comprehensive, multi-platform digital packages in a mobile app market that is largely dominated by Apple.
One Pass is available to publishers in the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Among the list of participating publishers are Bonnier's Popular Science and German publishers Axel Springer AG, Focus Online and Stern.de.