Apple is making changes to its App Store policies in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. It’s essentially easing linking rules for developers, so they can send customers elsewhere than the App Store for purchases. And it’s attaching new fees for sales that result from the links.
Apple eases App Store linking rules and alters fee structure in the EU to comply with DMA
Apple put out a news release outlining the new changes in detail to its DMA compliance plan. The goal is to give EU developers more flexibility to promote alternative purchase options outside the App Store, while Apple still maintains some fees and disclosure requirements. The EU reached a preliminary decision that Apple breached its “steering rules” along these lines. So this is further Apple compliance with DMA rules.
The key updates are:
- Developers can now include links in their apps to direct customers to external purchase options outside the App Store. This gives developers more freedom to promote alternative payment methods and sales. Apple is applying no limits or design requirements.
- There are two new fees associated with these external links: A 5% initial acquisition fee for any sales made through external links within 12 months of a new app install. And a 5-10% “store services fee” on all sales made through external links, depending on the app’s size.
- Customers will have the option to turn off the in-app disclosure sheets that warn about external purchase links.
These changes only apply to the EU market, not globally. The new policies will be rolled out with the upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and other software releases in fall 2024.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
