Apple Proposes New App Store Fees for Purchases Made Through External Links
Apple has submitted a new proposal outlining the commissions it wants to charge developers when iPhone and iPad users make purchases through external payment links inside iOS apps.
The proposal, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, comes after Apple unsuccessfully attempted to delay the process. The company is under pressure to clarify how much it believes it should be allowed to collect when developers direct users outside the App Store’s built-in payment system.
According to the filing, Apple wants to charge a 15% commission for standard apps on eligible purchases completed through external links. Developers enrolled in certain Apple programs would receive lower rates.
Small business developers would pay a reduced 5% commission. Developers participating in Apple’s Video Partner Program, News Partner Program, and Mini Apps Partner Program would pay 10%. Subscription renewals would also be charged at 10%, according to the proposal.
The filing is the latest development in Apple’s long-running legal dispute with Epic Games over App Store rules and commission fees. Epic has argued that Apple’s control over iOS app distribution and payments limits competition and forces developers to pay excessive fees.
Apple, however, maintains that it should be able to collect commissions from purchases made by users on its devices, even when those payments happen outside the App Store. The company argues that the fees help cover the cost of maintaining the App Store ecosystem, including developer tools, security systems, app review, distribution infrastructure, and other services that support iOS apps.
Apple had previously tried to pause the lower court proceedings while the Supreme Court considered a separate issue tied to the same case. That matter involved whether Apple violated a court order by introducing a 27% commission on purchases made through external links and by placing restrictions on how developers could show those links to users.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected Apple’s request to delay the case, forcing the company to move forward and disclose its proposed commission structure.
Apple also pointed to Google Play’s external payment fee structure in its filing. The company noted that Google charges 20% for standard apps using outside payment links, 15% for apps in select programs, and 10% for subscription renewals. Apple highlighted that Epic Games had accepted those rates in Google’s ecosystem.
The proposal could have major implications for app developers, especially those looking for more flexibility in how they process payments on iOS. If approved, Apple’s new fee structure would give developers access to lower commissions than its traditional App Store rates in some cases, but it would also allow Apple to keep collecting revenue from purchases made outside its own payment system.
For users, the change may eventually affect how apps present subscription options, digital purchases, and alternative payment methods. For developers, the key question remains whether Apple’s proposed fees are low enough to create meaningful competition in app payments, or whether they continue to preserve Apple’s control over the iOS marketplace.
