Apple delays making trainers and teachers pay 30% of in-app class fees

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Apple made it through its financial Apple Q3 2020 with flying colors.
Apple is giving a break to trainers and teachers during the pandemic.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Companies using their iPhone app to schedule online group events so they can stay in business during the COVID-19 pandemic won‘t be required to share their revenue with Apple for many months.

It’s one of several moves Apple made recently that could soften its image a bit.

Trainers can keep 100% of revenue from online classes

During the pandemic, many companies and individuals have taken their classes online as paid group experiences. Perhaps it’s a cooking class or an exercise class. Eventually, the businesses that provide these services through an iPhone app must charge for them as an in-app purchase, allowing Apple to claim 30% of the revenue.

But there’s a pandemic going on, so the Apple extended the deadline before this rule kicks in. The iPhone-maker announced Monday that companies have until June 30, 2021 before their applications must use in-app purchases to charge for group events. Until then, Apple won’t require them to share the revenue.

Anyone offering individual person-to-person training never has to share that revenue with Apple.

Apple taking a softer touch

In recent months, Apple made some changes that make the App Store friendlier for developers. Most notably, it cut App Store fees to just 15% for all small developers.

And back in August 2020, it stopped blocking “bug fix” updates because of minor violations of its rules. And the company made it easier to request changes to App Store guidelines.

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