On Thursday, Apple revised its rules and fees within the App Store for the European Union following a directive from the bloc’s antitrust regulators, which mandated the removal of commercial obstacles that prevent customers from making purchases outside the store. Apple announced that developers will incur a processing fee of 20% for transactions conducted through the App Store; however, this fee may be reduced to as low as 13% for participants in Apple’s small-business program. For developers who direct customers to make payments outside the App Store, a minimum fee of 5% will apply, with a maximum fee of 15%. Additionally, developers will have the flexibility to utilize an unlimited number of links to guide users to alternative payment methods.
The modifications are intended to assist Apple in evading daily penalties of 5% of its average global revenue, which amounts to approximately 50 million euros ($58 million) each day, following a 60-day period granted to demonstrate compliance with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. In April, Apple had already incurred a fine of 500 million euros ($580 million) imposed by EU antitrust authorities.
The European Commission has mandated that Apple implement a number of further modifications to the App Store. Apple expressed its disagreement with this decision and intends to file an appeal,” the company stated.
In its statement, the European Commission indicated that it will now evaluate Apple’s modifications to ensure they align with the Digital Markets Act.
“In conducting this evaluation, the Commission deems it especially crucial to gather opinions from market participants and relevant third parties prior to determining subsequent actions,” the Commission remarked in a statement.
