Google is rolling out monetization tools for Assistant Actions (AMZN)

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Google opened the door for developers to monetize their Assistant Actions — voice apps — with in-action purchases of digital goods.

The introduction of in-action purchases allows Assistant Actions developers to sell premium digital content, such as subscription services or one-time purchases that augment a skill’s free offerings. The move helps Google catch up to Amazon, which rolled out in-skill monetization options to the Alexa platform in May.

Google Sign-In for Assistant

This is a significant step for the Google Assistant platform, which previously offered no clear path to direct monetization for Actions developers. Previously, Google’s in-action voice purchases were constrained to tangible goods. These purchases are enabled through a product Google calls Transactions, which lets users schedule appointments, book services, and shop with third-party vendors on Assistant.

Along with the rollout of direct monetization options, Google’s offering a seamless path for voice purchases. Once Assistant users purchase a digital good, they can now use the Google Sign-In for the Assistant tool to leverage their Google accounts to sign up for each Action via voice or a few taps, rather than having to manually type profile information to make a new account with each app. Users also have the ability to go through the entire purchase journey via voice alone.

Developers, in turn, can use this streamlined account setup process to build personalized user experiences in Actions and drive engagement.Developers can leverage the Google Sign-In for the Assistant tool to support login and personalize Actions for any user with a Google account.

Google says this is a major improvement from when developers needed to build an account system with support for OAuth-based account linking to personalize the experience. Starbucks, for instance, enabled the Google Sign-In for the Assistant tool for its Action to allow users to access their Starbucks Rewards accounts. Since its debut, login conversions nearly doubled for Starbucks' users.

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