Apple has changed the rules for app developers in the European Union again, introducing a new Fee structure for external App Store payments. This decision follows the European Commission’s investigation into Apple’s anti-steering policies in breach of the Digital Markets Act.
Developers will now be able to avoid paying the Core Technology Fee (CTF), but they will have to deal with two new fees. Starting in fall 2024, with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, and watchOS 11, they will be able to accept two different types of contracts: theAddendum to Alternative Terms for Apps in the EU or theStoreKit External Purchase Link Rights Addendum (EU).
The first addendum still includes the CTF (€0.50 for each first install over a threshold of 1 million first installs per year) and allows you to use App Store in-app purchases, with an additional 3% fee if you use App Store Payment. For iOS apps on the App Store, you will pay a reduced fee of 10% (for most developers and for subscriptions after the first year) or 17% on transactions for digital goods and services, regardless of the payment processor you choose.
For this addendum, the initial fee is 5%, to which is added the Store Services Fee, which, in addition to the initial fee, serves to recognize Apple for the features of the App Store, such as its security, app review, anti-fraud controls, etc. This fee is 10%, which becomes 5% for small developers who participate in the App Store Small Business Program.
If you instead adhere to the second addendum, the one on the StoreKit External Purchase Link Right (EU), you no longer pay the CTF but the Linking out fees change. The initial acquisition fee remains 5%, but the commission for store services increases to 20%, and the commission for small developers also increases and stands at 7%.
In short, it is a thicket of fees and it is no coincidence that Spotify has called Apple’s new policy “deliberately confusing”: the Swedish company has also accused Apple of ignoring the fundamental requirements of the Digital Markets Act, asking the European Commission to speed up the investigation and enforce the DMA with daily fines. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney instead stated that “Apple continues to inadequately comply by imposing a new illegal 15% junk fee on users who migrate to competing stores and by monitoring trade on these competing stores”.
And what do you think about these new tariffs? Let us know in the comments below, while we remind you that for its violations Apple risks a fine of up to 7 billion euros.
#Apple #fees #external #payment #links #bypass #DMA #Spotify #summons
