The past two days have seen a variety of changes and choices for subscription-based content providers – mostly in the Apple Subscriptions and Google One Pass.

Apple announced yesterday how its subscription service would work:

• If you offer content subscriptions, you must offer them through your app as well (not just on your website).
• Renewals and cancellations will take place through iTunes.
• Apple takes 30% of the subscription cost (for handling payment and backend logistics).
• You cannot change your subscription price once it’s been implemented.

Google One Pass announced today that publishers can offer a subscription service tied to a Google account:

• Publishers have various options for how they charge for content and they’re allowed to experiment with different price models.
• One Pass operates across any site with the functionality enabled. Content can be managed online and in mobile apps.
• One Pass takes 10% of the subscription cost.

So how can a content provider meld the two? Publishers can only use One Pass in an app if the mobile operating system’s guidelines allow it. But Google DOES allow apps to redirect customers to a mobile Web browser to make a purchase, where publishers can use Google One Pass and keep 90 percent of the revenue. It’s a possible workaround for Apple’s requirements.

Another perk to Google One Pass, as pointed out by TechCrunch, is that publishers can maintain direct relationships with their customers.customer information collected by Google will be shared with publishers unless the user opts-out. In Apple’s system, user data can only be shared if the user explicitly chooses to do so. That’s a big difference.

More Resources:

• New York Times: Google Announces Payment System for Digital Content
• Bloomberg: Google Starts One Pass Subscription Service, Offering Alternative to Apple
• CNET: Google announces One Pass, rival to Apple’s subscription service
• The Next Web: Google One Pass vs App Store subscriptions: Who Wins?
• Mashable: Apple Subscription Model