Apple Announces Changes to External Linking and Fees for Apps in the EU

Apple has announced some additional changes to developer rules in the European Union, affecting external links and fees. The changes follow a preliminary ruling from the European Commission that Apple is in violation of the Digital Markets Act by preventing app developers from freely steering customers to alternative sources for offers and content.

The terms introduced today will apply this fall for developers with apps in the European Union storefronts of the App Store that use the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement.

Key changes include:
● Developers can communicate and promote offers for purchases available at a destination of their choice. The destination can be an alternative app marketplace, another app, or a website, and it can be accessed outside the app or via a web view that appears in the app.
● Developers may design and execute within their apps the communication and promotion of offers. This includes providing information about prices of subscriptions or any other offer available both within or outside the app, and providing explanations or instructions about how to subscribe to offers outside the application. These communications must provide accurate information regarding the digital goods or services available for purchase.
● Developers may choose to use an actionable link that can be tapped, clicked, or scanned, to take users to their destination.
● Developers can use any number of URLs, without declaring them in the app's Info.plist.
● Links with parameters, redirects, and intermediate links to landing pages are permitted.
● Updated business terms for apps with the External Purchase Link Entitlement are being introduced to align with the changes to these capabilities.


Alongside these relaxed rules for external links, Apple has introduced two new fees that apps will be subject to when linking out, an Initial Acquisition Fee and a Store Services Fee.

Initial acquisition fee. You'll pay Apple a fee on all sales of digital goods and services, the customer makes on any platform, that occur within a 12-month period after an initial install. This fee does not apply to transactions made by customers that had an initial install before you make your app available with the entitlement profile to link out. The fee reflects the value the App Store provides when connecting developers with customers in the EU.

Store services fee. In addition to the initial acquisition fee, you'll pay Apple a fee on all sales of digital goods and services, the customer makes on any platform, that occur within a fixed 12-month period from the date of an install, including app updates and reinstalls, after you make your app available with the entitlement profile to link out. This reflects the ongoing services and capabilities that Apple provides developers, including app distribution and management; App Review; App Store trust and safety; re-discovery, re-engagement and promotional tools and services; anti-fraud checks; recommendations; ratings and reviews; customer support; and more.

The Initial Acquisition Fee is 5% and the Store Services Fee is 10%. Developers enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program and subscriptions after their first year will pay Apple a reduced 5% store services fee. These fees do not apply to auto-renewals of subscriptions entered into previously, or to sales made pursuant to your use of an alternative PSP or Apple's In-App Purchase system.


Additionally, for iOS apps distributed on the App Store, Web Distribution, and/or an alternative app marketplace that reach significant scale, you'll pay €0.50 for each first annual install over 1 million first annual installs. Membership in the Apple Developer Program includes 1 million first annual installs per year for free.

More details at the link below...

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