Google has integrated its Chrome Web Store with its Checkout online payment system, as it gets ready to open the application marketplace to end users later this year.
Now developers can set up a Checkout account so that they can charge for their applications using the store's built-in payment system. For now, this is limited to developers in the U.S. who have a U.S. bank account, Google said Thursday. Google also gives developers the option of using other payment systems.
The store's payment system lets developers offer various options, including charging a one-time fee, billing on a monthly or annual subscription basis and offering a temporary free trial. Applications can also be entirely distributed for free.
Google also announced new capabilities for developers to preview and customize their applications' landing pages, adding the ability to add a custom header image, as well as a larger icon.
Although it carries the name of Google's browser, the Chrome Web Store is designed to work with other browsers as well. Google plans to open the store to end users before the end of the year.