AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link
- ID
- 20214
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 01 Sep 2026, 6:11 PM
- Fetched
- 03 Sep 2026, 5:13 PM
- Provider
- Hacker News
- Category
- dev-community
- Original URL
- https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/issues/21656
- Source URL
- https://hnrss.org/best
Summary
- Score
- 6.5
- Created
- 03 Sep 2026, 5:18 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
Google Play has rejected updates to AnkiDroid (10M+ installs, open-source flashcard app) since August 28, 2026, because its Open Collective donation link routes to a 501(c)(6) fiscal host, which Google claims doesn't qualify as 'tax-exempt' despite the IRS determination letter. Without resolution, AnkiDroid will be removed from Google Play on September 11 worldwide (except India and Russia). Google's policy only exempts donations to 'validated tax-exempt organizations' like 501(c)(3) charities, effectively excluding 501(c)(6) non-profits.
Why it matters
If you ship Android apps and collect donations through Open Collective or any fiscal host that is not a 501(c)(3)-equivalent charity, Google Play may reject your updates or delist your app. Builders using Open Source Collective (the common fiscal host for many FOSS projects) should audit whether their donation flow will pass Google's increasingly narrow interpretation of 'tax-exempt donations,' and consider whether to switch to Play Billing or restructure their fiscal sponsorship.
Discussion angle
Google Play's payment policy is now actively narrowing which non-profit structures can accept in-app donations without going through Play Billing — discuss whether this forces open-source Android projects to either incorporate as 501(c)(3) equivalents or pay Google's billing cut, and what alternatives exist for Malaysian/SEA builders who can't easily get US charitable status.