Apple tweaks EU App Store rules, adds news fees

Apple announced updates to its App Store developer policies to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), meeting the deadline and addressing prior noncompliance fines. These changes affect both customer communication methods and the fee structures for developers within the EU.

EU app developers can now link to alternative payment methods for subscriptions and other in-app purchases outside the App Store across various channels. This functionality allows developers to share these links on websites, alternative app marketplaces, or within other applications. Apple specified that these links can be accessed outside or inside the app, either through a web view or a native experience, and no longer require warning screens or previously mandated text.

Apple introduced a revised fee structure, moving away from its previous Core Technology Fee (CTF) model. The new structure includes an initial acquisition fee of 2% and a store services fee, which is either 13% or 5%, depending on the developer’s chosen tier. Members of the Small Business program will pay a 10% store services fee. Developers selecting Tier 1 gain access to a limited range of App Store services, including app reviews, manual updates, and antifraud measures. Tier 2 provides a more comprehensive suite of services, such as marketing tools, automatic updates, curation and personalization features, and app insights.

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For applications that utilize the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement (EU) Addendum to link to alternative payment methods, a Core Technology Commission (CTC) will apply. This CTC is intended to replace the existing CTF. Previously, developers paid a CTF of €0.50 per app install after exceeding 1 million downloads. This CTF will continue for developers operating under the alternative EU business terms. However, developers adhering to the standard terms in the EU will instead be subject to the CTC, which is a 5% commission. Developers currently paying the old CTF will transition to these new rules by January 1, 2026.

Apple released a statement regarding the CTC, affirming that it “reflects the value Apple provides developers through ongoing investments in the tools, technologies, and services that enable them to build and share innovative apps with users.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company successfully challenged Apple’s policies in the U.S. to allow alternative payments without commission, responded to the announcement on X. Sweeney characterized the changes as “malicious compliance,” stating, “Apple’s new Digital Markets Act malicious compliance scheme is blatantly unlawful in both Europe and the United States and makes a mockery of fair competition in digital markets. Apps with competing payments are not only taxed but commercially crippled in the App Store.”

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