Apple Proposes Slashing App Store External Link Commissions to 15% Amid Epic Games Legal Battle
Apple is moving to significantly reduce the commissions it charges developers for purchases made through external links outside the iOS App Store. The proposed changes come amid mounting legal and regulatory pressures, most notably the protracted legal dispute with Fortnite creator Epic Games over App Store billing policies and anti-steering rules.
Under the newly proposed framework, Apple intends to drop the base commission for off-platform purchases to 15%, a steep decline from the highly criticized 27% rate it previously sought to impose. The proposal also outlines steeper discounts tailored to specific developer categories and subscription models.
Proposed Apple Commission Structure for External Payments
The following table details Apple's proposed fee tiers for transactions processed outside the App Store environment:
Developer Category / Transaction TypeProposed Commission Rate
Standard Developers (Base Rate)15%
Video, News, and Mini Apps Partners10%
Subscription Renewals10%
Small Business Program Participants5%
Legal Pressures and Supreme Court Ruling
This strategic pivot follows a recent setback in the U.S. judiciary. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Apple's request to pause proceedings that are evaluating whether the company violated a previous court injunction by imposing the initial 27% fee and placing strict limitations on how developers could direct users to alternative payment systems.
Apple’s Justification and Industry Benchmarks
Despite lowering the rates, Apple maintains its foundational argument: the company is entitled to compensation for the massive investments it continuously makes in the App Store’s infrastructure, security protocols, developer tools, and APIs. Apple argues that developers inherently benefit from the iOS ecosystem, even when the final transaction is executed on an external website.
To defend its revised fee structure, Apple drew comparisons to the external billing model utilized by the Google Play Store, which imposes its own tiered fees on out-of-app purchases:
Google Play External Billing TierCommission Rate
Standard Apps20%
Special Program Participants15%
Subscription Renewals10%
Future Outlook
Apple's proposal marks a critical turning point in the economics of the mobile app ecosystem. While the 15% base rate aims to strike a balance between legal compliance and protecting Apple's services revenue, the revised structure is expected to face intense, ongoing scrutiny from developers, antitrust regulators, and the U.S. courts. Any final ruling on these external payment rules will have profound implications for Apple's bottom line, developer margins, and ultimate consumer pricing.