Windows Marketplace for Mobile developers cite payment problems
Microsoft and some developers that sell their applications through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile are trading blame about back payment and eligibility. Apparently Apple isn’t the only company that’s having a hard time managing the onslaught of mobile app developers.
While a post by Microsoft Product Manager Mihir Rao assures everyone that, “we want to pay all our developers that have met the $200 threshold at the earliest,” there are still a number of developers stuck in payment processing limbo. Microsoft has to balance getting the correct banking and tax identification number, it can’t afford to fumble with the Windows Mobile development community.
With Windows Mobile 7 delayed and rumors of application incompatibilities, Microsoft is already at risk of losing developers to the iPhone or Android communities. A thriving application ecosystem allows for huge extensions in the baseline functionality of these devices that attract more users to the platform.
One developer lamented, “Thing is, I want to re-direct ALL my sales to Marketplace. If others end up doing that then Marketplace will generate more revenue. However if we can’t get paid on time or even get a response then it is too risky.”
This kind of payment setup has become commonplace online for both developers and site owners. Whether the payment is for developing mobile applications or for banner advertising revenue, technology companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft have to support that ecosystem in order to be successful.
Microsoft’s system is supposed to display a payment eligibility status, but a number of people said that they became ineligible just as they were expecting their first check. That makes it hard for mobile developers, some of which eke out a living through selling their software online.
At least the silver lining is that there are actually developers that claim to have sold thousands of dollars worth of applications through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Hopefully Microsoft sorts these issues out with their developers before they start jumping ship.
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