A legal filing indicates that Apple is likely to charge a commission on any transactions that start in the app, despite the payment platform used.
Although the appeal of the Apple-Epic lawsuit is ongoing, Apple is currently subject to the judge’s decision and will have to allow app developers to show links to external payment platforms inside from December 9, unless the Ninth Circuit grants a stay.
In a related legal filing, Apple indicates that it is considering charging a commission on any such transactions that are initiated from within an app, even though they are not using In-App Purchase.
The document reads that if the injunction were to go into effect, Apple could charge a commission on purchases made through such mechanisms. Apple CEO Tim Cook had signaled this intent in a court hearing earlier this year.
What I’ve come to assume is now in black and white in this filing from Apple: If the injunction goes into effect, Apple seems likely to charge a commission on any transactions that start in the app, even if they are completed on the web. https://t.co/GVoEhiQbFS pic.twitter.com/uyXjAmM1uD
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) December 2, 2021
MacDailyNews Take: As we’ve been saying for quite some time now, if Apple’s appeal somehow fails, developers like Epic Games who want to advertise lower prices using Apple’s App Store should simply be charged an in-store advertising fee by Apple via a new In-App Advertising framework. We suggest the charge be 15% of sales resulting from said ads for developers making under $1 million per year and 30% for those making $1 million or more annually (or exactly what Apple currently charges for in-app purchases/subscriptions). 🙂
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