Apple was forced to allow external payments in the AppStore. Their answer was a commission of 27%.

• US Justice Forces Apple to Allow Payments to Third Parties

• Apple already allows this, but has added a new fee that Epic Games considers abusive.

Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple continues to have important implications. Among the measures determined by the judges was that Apple should open the AppStore to third-party payments. Tim Cook’s company appealed this section, but the courts confirmed that apps have the right to offer their own payment systems. Now they have finally started to allow it, but with an unexpected commission.

Third-party payments come…with a big warning. As you can see from the updated developer guidelines, Apple now allows the ability to offer its own payment system through the “StoreKit Purchase External Link API.” This is a mechanism that allows the user to exit the application and, instead of paying directly, access the developer’s website to make a purchase there.

When the user wants to exit the application, he will receive a warning from the AppStore. A full-screen message explaining that you are about to go to an external website and that “Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of purchases made on the website.”

Lower prices directly online. The debate initially arose because developers like Epic Games didn’t want to pay the high fees Apple charges on its app store. Developers can now create pages that direct users to their website with messages such as “website specials” or “website prices down to X%”, always with the URL where they will be redirected.

They can pay online… but with a 27% fee. Apple charges a commission for purchases made within 7 days of clicking a link. 27% commission for facilitating access to the developer’s site. This fee will drop to 12% in the second year of signing up for the small business program.

Apple will request transaction reports every month, even if there are no transactions. Once payment is received, Apple will return the invoice. That is, it is the developers who implement this payment on their website who must pay Apple a commission. If you do not do so, Apple reserves the right to remove the application from the AppStore.

Epic Games will report again. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games: openly criticized this move by Apple. They consider this new rate “anti-competitive” and claim that “Apple has never done this.” They note that “Apple dictates every aspect of these links, and they are far removed from where users actually buy things.” In short, this method is not easy for users to purchase, and Apple continues to have an advantage with its own payment service, placing it on a much more accessible screen.

For this reason, he ends by saying that he will sue Apple again for not properly implementing the decision. The battle between Epic Games and Apple has been going on for years, but remains unfinished.

In Hatak | Services have been Apple’s big joy in recent years. Now he faces a difficult 2024.