Apple Wants to Charge Developers Up to 15 Percent for Linking Outside the App Store

Apple has filed a proposal with a U.S. court, detailing the fees it seeks to collect from developers who link to external purchase options from within their apps on the App Store. The company is proposing a commission of 15 percent for standard apps, down from its current 30 percent fee for in-app purchases. Developers in the Small Business Program, which typically pays 15 percent, would see their fee reduced to 5 percent.

Programs such as News Partner, Video Partner, Mini Apps Partner, and subscription renewals would incur a 10 percent fee. These proposed rates are based on an expert analysis by Apple and are lower than the 15 percent link-out rates charged by Google in the ongoing Epic v. Google legal battle. The proposal was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is responsible for determining a reasonable fee for Apple's intellectual property.

The appeals court has suggested that the commission could be limited to direct costs of facilitating link-outs, potentially resulting in a fee of zero. However, Apple argues that a zero commission would not account for the value it provides to developers through the App Store platform. The case dates back to 2021 when Apple was ordered to modify its App Store rules to allow developers to link to purchase options outside the store following a legal dispute with Epic Games.

The appeals court recently upheld a contempt ruling against Apple, finding that the company was barred from charging any fees on link-outs. Apple has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case in October.