Apple Opens EU App Store To External Payments To Avoid Fines Under Digital Markets Act, But Adds New Fees

Apple Inc. AAPL announced on Thursday new terms allowing developers in the European Union to communicate and promote external purchase offers, marking a significant compliance step under the Digital Markets Act.

What Happened: The tech giant’s updated terms enable developers to direct users to alternative payment channels, including websites, alternative app marketplaces, or other apps, accessible both within apps through web views or outside the application entirely.

This represents Apple’s latest attempt to address EU regulatory pressure following months of antitrust scrutiny.

Under the new framework, developers can implement actionable links allowing customers to complete purchases through alternative payment processors. However, these transactions will be subject to new fee structures, including initial acquisition fees, store services fees and, for certain arrangements, the Core Technology Commission (CTC).

“The CTC reflects value Apple provides developers through ongoing investments in the tools, technologies, and services that enable them to build and share innovative apps with users,” Apple stated in developer documentation released Thursday.

The changes come after the European Commission imposed requirements under the Digital Markets Act, which aims to break the dominance of large technology platforms. Brussels previously accused Apple of stifling competition on its app store, with the company facing potential fines up to 10% of global annual revenue for DMA violations.

Apple plans to transition to a single business model across the EU by Jan. 1, 2026, moving from the current Core Technology Fee structure to the Core Technology Commission for digital goods and services transactions.

Why It Matters: The regulatory action follows Apple’s February 2024 settlement of a €500 million European Commission fine related to music streaming services, stemming from a 2019 Spotify complaint alleging anticompetitive practices in app store policies.

Beginning with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, Apple will provide updated user experiences for installing alternative marketplaces or apps from developer websites in the EU.

For qualifying transactions, Apple will charge a 2% initial acquisition fee within six months of app installation, plus store services fees ranging from 5% to 13% depending on service tier selection. Apps exceeding one million annual installs will remain subject to the €0.50 Core Technology Fee per install.

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