GoKawiilUnder the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple is required to allow developers to freely inform customers of alternative offers outside its App Store.
Apple on Tuesday announced that alternative, third-party app stores in the European Union will be charged a 5% commission on in-app purchases, which the iPhone maker said will "resolve" disagreements with regulators stemming from the implementation of Europe's Digital Markets Act.
Under the new rules, apps purchased through Apple's App Store using Apple's system will pay a commission of 26% on digital goods and services. Apps that use their own payment processing systems and take credit cards directly will pay Apple 20%. Apps that link out to a website to complete purchases will be charged 15%, and apps distributed through third-party app stores or the web will be charged 5%, which Apple calls a "Core Technology Commission." Some fees can be cut in half by participating in various Apple programs.
It's a replacement for a more complicated system that Apple proposed last year. The new fee tiers take effect on Oct. 1.
Historically, Apple charged either 30% or 15% on all iPhone in-app purchases, and required that all non-enterprise iPhone apps be installed through its App Store. But Apple's App Store model has been under attack around the world in the past decade from lawsuits and government regulators, as critics say it operates as a monopoly on iPhone software and squeezes developers and users with fees.
Apple has argued that its App Store and in-app purchase requirements are designed to increase trust and safety and enforce issues around security and inappropriate apps.