Patreon, a service that many authors, artists, etc. use to get funding from fans, has to switch its iPhone/iPad application to Apple’s in-app purchase system by November. The company criticized the requirement on Monday, and pointed out this will add Apple’s 30% App Store fee to all new memberships purchased through the iOS software.
But Patreon isn’t being singled out — Apple makes virtually all applications use its purchasing system. Not that’s everyone is happy about it.
Patreon faces Apple’s 30% app Store fee: What it means for creators
Apple justifies the App Store fee by saying the money goes to cover the cost of running the software marketplace and developing the tools developers use to create iPhone and iPad applications.
But Patreon doesn’t seem impressed by Apple’s arguments. As the company phrased it Monday, “Unfortunately, Apple is requiring us to switch over to their in-app purchase system for all iOS transactions or else risk being kicked out of the App Store altogether — and their in-app purchase system is not built with our same level of creator-first flexibility.”
They do have a point: Patreon offers creators the option to choose first-of-the-month and per-creation billing plans. Apple doesn’t support these so they can’t be used for the iOS Patreon application. The only option is a subscription.
As part of the change, Apple will charge its 30% App Store fee to all new memberships purchased in the Patreon iOS app. Patreon’s answer: “We’ve built an optional tool that can automatically increase your prices — only in the iOS app — to offset the cost of Apple’s fee.”
Chart: Patreon
Not going over well
Some creators are not happy. As one said via Mastodon, “I do not use Apple products, do not rely on any of their services or tools. Yet, because of their illegal rent-seeking and predatory behaviours, even I have to deal with their bullshit because Apple is forcing Patreon to change its billing system.”
But the crowd-funding company asks creators to not stop taking contributions via its iOS application. “Apple has also made clear that if creators on Patreon continue to use unsupported billing models or disable transactions in the iOS app, we will be at risk of having the entire app removed from their App Store,” said Patreon.
The App Store ‘tax’ is undoubtedly controversial
Complaints aren’t hard to find about the requirement to use Apple’s in-app purchase system and pay the 30% App Store fee — which critics call a tax.
Epic Games took Apple all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue. It won a partial victory, with courts ordering that Apple must allow third-party iPhone app developers to point customers to their websites when making purchases. But that doesn’t mean devs can choose another in-app payment system. Apple can still require developers to use its purchasing system in iPhone and iPad applications. And that’s just what is happening with Patreon.
The changeover will take place at Patreon in November 2024.
