gplay-purchase-verification

Purchase Verification for Google Play

Use this skill when you need to verify in-app purchases or subscriptions from your backend server.

Why Verify Purchases Server-Side?

Client-side verification can be bypassed. Always verify purchases on your server:

• Prevent fraud and piracy
• Ensure user actually paid
• Check subscription status
• Handle refunds and cancellations

Authentication Setup

Your backend needs a service account with permissions to verify purchases.

Create service account

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create service account
3. Grant "Service Account User" role
4. Download JSON key

Grant API access

1. Go to Play Console
2. Users & Permissions → Service Accounts
3. Grant service account access to your apps

Verify In-App Product Purchase

Get purchase details

gplay purchases products get \
  --package com.example.app \
  --product-id premium_upgrade \
  --token <PURCHASE_TOKEN>

Response

{
  "kind": "androidpublisher#productPurchase",
  "purchaseTimeMillis": "1706400000000",
  "purchaseState": 0,
  "consumptionState": 0,
  "developerPayload": "user_123",
  "orderId": "GPA.1234-5678-9012-34567",
  "purchaseType": 0
}

Purchase states

• 0 = Purchased
• 1 = Canceled
• 2 = Pending

Consumption states

• 0 = Yet to be consumed
• 1 = Consumed

Acknowledge Purchase

After verifying, acknowledge the purchase:

gplay purchases products acknowledge \
  --package com.example.app \
  --product-id premium_upgrade \
  --token <PURCHASE_TOKEN>

Important: Unacknowledged purchases will be refunded after 3 days.

Consume Purchase (for consumables)

For consumable items (coins, gems, etc.):

gplay purchases products consume \
  --package com.example.app \
  --product-id coins_100 \
  --token <PURCHASE_TOKEN>

Verify Subscription

Prefer the v2 API. For new integrations use gplay purchases subscriptionsv2 get (and subscriptionsv2 cancel/defer/revoke, purchases productsv2 get). The v2 SubscriptionPurchaseV2 model reflects base plans and offers; the v1 endpoints below still work but are the legacy shape.