Apple has proposed a 15% commission on purchases made via external links. Learn how this impacts developers and what it means for your app subscriptions.
Based on reporting by TechCrunch. Research, structure, and fact-checking by Groundwork.
Apple has proposed a 15% fee on external digital purchases, with lower rates for small businesses and specific partner programs. For users, this means you may increasingly be directed to external websites to complete payments, shifting how you manage and cancel your digital subscriptions.
However, courts have increasingly scrutinized these "walled garden" policies for potential anti-competitive behavior. By allowing external links, Apple is attempting to comply with judicial mandates while still capturing a portion of the revenue generated by its platform. Apple has drawn comparisons to Google Play’s fee structure, which charges 20% for standard apps and 15% for special programs, as a benchmark for its own pricing model.
For the average consumer, these changes may result in more options for managing subscriptions and making purchases outside of the native Apple interface. Previously, you were often restricted to the Apple payment system, which stores your payment information securely and streamlines the checkout process.
With external links, you might find that some apps now direct you to their own websites to complete a transaction. While this might offer developers more flexibility, it also means you may need to enter your credit card or payment information on third-party websites rather than using Apple Pay or saved App Store credentials. You should exercise caution when navigating to external sites and ensure you are using reputable payment gateways.
If you are a developer, you must monitor the court’s final ruling on these proposed percentages to understand how your revenue will be impacted. The court will evaluate whether these fees are reasonable and if they comply with previous injunctions regarding anti-steering provisions.
For users, the primary takeaway is awareness. As developers begin to implement external payment links, you will likely see a shift in how you subscribe to services. Always check if a subscription is managed through your Apple ID settings or through the developer’s own website, as managing cancellations and refunds will differ depending on where the purchase was initiated.
Not necessarily. If a developer chooses to use external payment links, you may be required to use the payment methods supported by their specific website, which might not include Apple Pay, instead of the standard App Store payment flow.
No, these rates are currently part of a proposal submitted to the U.S. District Court of Northern California. The final commission structure remains subject to judicial review and potential adjustments based on the ongoing legal proceedings between Apple and Epic Games.
You generally will not see a specific 'fee' line item on your receipt. Instead, the developer pays the commission to Apple on the back end. However, developers may adjust their pricing on their websites to account for these costs, which may differ from the prices listed inside the App Store.
Yes. If you purchase a subscription through an external link on a developer's website, you will typically need to manage or cancel that subscription through that developer's website account portal rather than your Apple ID 'Subscriptions' menu.
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