App Store prices will soon go up in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Colombia, Egypt, and a few other countries. The hike will come into effect starting February 13, 2023.
The changes will apply to both prices of apps and in-app purchases (IAP). Recurring subscriptions are not affected, though.
iPhone apps will soon become more expensive in the UK
In its announcement, Apple says it is implementing the changes “based on changes in taxes and foreign exchange rates.” App store prices will go down by 3% in Uzbekistan as the VAT rate has decreased from 15% to 12%.
Apple is raising the App Store and IAP prices in the following countries:
- Colombia
- Egypt
- Hungary
- Nigeria
- Norway
- South Africa
- the United Kingdom
While App Store prices are not going up in Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore, and Zimbabwe, Apple will be adjusting the proceeds to developers due to changes in tax regulations. In Ireland, the VAT rate has been reduced to 0% from 9%. Similarly, Luxembourg has reduced the VAT rate by 1% to 16%. In Singapore and Zimbabwe, taxes have increased by 1% and 0.5%, respectively.
Apple also notes that payments for developers in Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan will increase by January-end.
More App Store changes are incoming
Apple regularly adjusts App Store prices worldwide to account for inflation, weakening currency, and local tax regulations.
In December 2022, Apple announced new App Store price tiers, starting from as low as 29 cents and going up to $10,000. Starting in spring 2023, the Cupertino giant will provide developers with 700 new price points along with new tools to make international selling easier. This includes allowing developers to control their product prices in 45 currencies across 175 regions.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
