Apple is hiking up App Store prices in the U.K.

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Mac App Store
Prepare to pay more for iOS and macOS apps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will hike App Store prices for users in the U.K. due to fluctuating exchange rates and taxation changes.

U.K. prices will go up by at least 25 percent within the next seven days, and Turkey, India and other countries can also expect to see increases, Apple said.

That increase of at least 25 percent, which can be mostly attributed to the weak exchange rate of the pound following the U.K.’s decision to vote itself out of the European Union, means Britons will feel the price hikes the most.

The change won’t just apply to the cost of apps and games, but also to in-app purchases. Those that were previously priced at 0.79 pounds will now cost 0.99 pounds, while those previously priced at 1.49 pounds will now cost 1.99 pounds. Fortunately, subscription plan prices aren’t changing just yet.

Apple confirmed the changes in notifications sent to iOS and macOS developers this week. It doesn’t mention changes to iTunes prices for music, movies and other content yet, but you can be sure the hike will be reflected there soon.

For customers in India, there’s now a service tax of 14 percent, plus levies of 0.5 percent that were introduced on December 1, 2016. In Russia, a value added tax (VAT) of 18 percent has been introduced, and in Romania, the tax rate has risen from 18 percent to 19 percent.

It was only a matter of time before Apple increased App Store prices in the U.K. It warned fans when it hiked the price of Macs back in October for the same reasons. Since the Brexit vote last summer, the pound has been down around 19 percent against the U.S. dollar.

The new App Store prices don’t appear to be in effect this morning, but MacRumors reports that they should appear within the next 7 days.

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