Latest news with #inAppPurchases
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Australians may soon be able to download iPhone apps from outside Apple App Store under government proposal
Australians could soon be able to download apps outside the Apple App Store and avoid extra charges on purchases made on the iPhone under a federal government proposal, but the tech giant has warned EU-style competition rules for apps risks security and may harm competition. Currently, Australian users cannot subscribe to Netflix or Spotify through their iOS apps, while Google charges a premium on YouTube subscriptions through the App Store and Amazon does not let Kindle users buy ebooks through the app. This is due to Apple taking a cut of up to 30% on in-app purchases, which applies to the highest-earning apps. The companies cannot advise customers how to make the purchase elsewhere, under Apple rules. In a paper released in November last year, the government outlined a proposal to 'designate' digital platforms like the Apple App Store. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email This would then compel those platforms to comply with obligations that target what the government deems to be anti-competitive conduct. The paper specifically highlights the in-app payment scheme favoured by Apple as an example of the type of behaviour the competition regulator could target once a platform is designated, as well as allowing users to download apps from places outside the official App Store – known as sideloading. In its response to the paper, Apple said the government should not use the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) as 'a blueprint' for the scheme. 'The DMA requires changes to Apple's ecosystem that bring increased privacy and security risks to users, opening the door for malware, fraud and scams; illicit and harmful content; and other threats,' the company said. Apple argued the 30% rate is only charged to the highest-earning apps, with 90% of the US$1.3tn in sales and billings generated through iOS apps being paid without Apple taking a slice. It said most developers who pay are charged 15%. The company has also warned against sideloading apps. In addition to the security risks Apple said would come with it not being able to vet the apps that users install, the company said in the submission that, in the EU, pornography apps and apps allowing copyright infringement can be installed. Users have long been able to download apps onto MacBooks and other traditional computer devices this way. The Android platform also allows sideloading of apps and third-party purchases outside the Google Play store. The company also claimed the DMA was the reason for Apple delaying the launch of its AI features. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Telsyte managing director and principal analyst, Foad Fadaghi, said opening up Apple's platform might be useful for some users, but would not change how most people use their iPhone. 'There might be concern from users who look for heightened security and privacy from Apple devices, and most will choose the locked-down mode as default,' he said. Australia is not an outlier – Apple is facing regulatory and legal pressure over its App Store dominance in Asia, Europe and the US. While the company has complied with the laws in those jurisdictions it has resisted pressure to make the App Store globally consistent. Apple previously changed its hardware globally to use USB-C connectors in order to comply with EU rules. The government has yet to announce next steps in the process, and the submissions to the paper have yet to be published by the Treasury department. A federal court judgment on Epic Games' case against Apple and Google over app store practices has yet to be handed down, nearly one year since the hearings ended.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Apple's loses bid to halt court ruling that blocks some fees from its iPhone app store
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A three-judge appeals panel rejected Apple's request to pause an April 30 order banning the company from charging a fee on in-app iPhone transactions processed outside its once-exclusive payment system in a two-page decision issued late Thursday. The setback threatens to divert billions of dollars in revenue away from Apple while it tried to overturn the order reining in its commissions from e-commerce within iPhone apps. Apple sought to put the order on hold after it was issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in a stinging rebuke that also held the Cupertino, California, company in civil contempt of court and recommended opening a criminal investigation into whether one of its executives had committed perjury while testifying in her Oakland, California, courtroom. It marked another twist of the screw in a legal battle initiated nearly five years ago by video game maker Epic Games, which alleged Apple had turned the iPhone's app store had been turned into a price-gouging monopoly. The antitrust case focused largely on the 15% to 30% commissions that Apple rakes in from a portion of the commerce conducted within iPhone apps under a system that prohibited app makers from offering alternative payment methods. Apple is still seeking to overturn Gonzalez-Rogers' ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but her order blocking Apple's commissions on some in-app commerce will remain in effect while potentially leaving a dent in its profits. 'The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended,' Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a post after the appeals court denied Apple's request. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Although Gonzalez-Rogers mostly sided with Apple in her initial 2021 ruling in the case, she ordered the company to begin allowing apps to include links to alternative payment systems — a decision that withstood appeals that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2024. Apple then complied by requiring commissions of 12% to 27%, provoking Epic to ask Gonzalez-Rogers to hold Apple in contempt of her order. After holding a new round of hearings that unfolded over a nine-month period straddling last year and this year, Gonzalez-Rogers brought down another legal hammer on Apple.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Apple Loses Bid to Pause Court Order on App Store Changes
Apple Inc. lost its request to pause a court order requiring it to let App Store developers steer users to the web to purchase in-app items without paying a commission. The ruling Wednesday by a San Francisco-based federal appeals court is the latest setback for the iPhone maker in a long-running fight with Fortnite maker Epic Games Inc. over the dominance of the smartphone software market with its App Store.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
RevenueCat and Paddle team up to help app developers profit from web payments
Payments and subscription infrastructure providers Paddle and RevenueCat have teamed up to launch an alternative to Apple's in-app purchases in the wake of a U.S. App Store policy change that now allows app developers to process their own payments. The companies on Tuesday announced a new integration that allows users to make purchases from developers' apps, whether on web or mobile devices. Paddle manages the web-specific payments, along with associated tax and compliance complexities. Meanwhile, thanks to RevenueCat, developers have access to their subscription data and performance across both web and mobile platforms. The ability to even offer links for in-app purchases via the web is a new change for iOS applications in the U.S. The decision came down from District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers as part of the court's ruling in Fortnite maker Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Apple. While Apple largely won its case, as the court declared it was not a monopolist, it was also forced to allow developers to link out to web payment options without having to pay Apple a commission. Combined, the new solution from Paddle and RevenueCat offers a way for users to subscribe once on one platform — web or mobile — then automatically access their subscription across all devices. Plus, subscription data is stored in the RevenueCat dashboard, where developers can track real-time analytics across web, iOS, and Android for easy access. Some apps already use services from both providers, like the running app Runna. In that case, the new integration offers a more seamless path to web monetization, the companies explain. 'There's a huge opportunity for subscription apps to grow revenue by expanding to the web — but that shift brings new technical and operational challenges,' said Jimmy Fitzgerald, CEO of Paddle, in a statement shared with TechCrunch. 'By partnering with RevenueCat, we're making it easier for developers to manage subscriptions across platforms, while giving them more control over how and where they monetize.' RevenueCat co-founder and CEO Jacob Eiting, whose service today powers over 70,000 apps, added that Paddle was a great partner on the new effort, which will allow developers to offer web-based payments alongside traditional app stores.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
One Tech Tip: These are the apps that can now avoid Apple's in-app payment system
LONDON — Apple users are starting to get ways out of the iPhone maker's so-called 'walled garden.' For years, the company blocked app developers from informing people about how to pay for a subscription or service that didn't involve going through its own iOS App Store. Some apps didn't like this. It's the reason you weren't able to pay for your Spotify subscription from the app. But all that changed last month, when U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a scathing decision against Apple that promises to shake up the iPhone app payment ecosystem. She ordered Apple to tear down the barriers around its previously exclusive payment system for in-app digital transactions and allow developers to provide links to alternative options. She also ordered Apple to stop preventing app makers from communicating directly with users through their apps to let them know about deals and offers. She told Apple not to impose new commissions on purchases made outside the App Store. Some companies, including Spotify, moved quickly to capitalize on the judge's demand with app updates. Here's a look at how iPhone users — at least those in the United States — can make the most of the changes: Spotify Spotify customers previously had to go to its website to pay for a music streaming subscription. That's because Spotify long ago removed the in-app payment option in protest against Apple's practice of requiring that digital subscriptions be bought only through iOS apps while taking a commission of up to 30%. Following a U.S. app update, Spotify said users 'can finally see how much something costs in our app, including pricing details on subscriptions and information about promotions that will save money.' If you're a Spotify listener, you can now scroll through various subscription plans on the app to see their prices. Free users who want to upgrade to a premium subscription can sign up by tapping a button directly in the app. Existing premium users can easily switch to a different subscription level, also by simply tapping a button. And in another update, the company said users can also view individual audiobook prices and buy them within the Spotify app. Premium subscribers will also be able to buy 'top up' hours for audiobook listening if they've maxed out their 15 free listening hours each month. Epic Games Gamers can rejoice. Five years after Apple ousted Fortnite for trying to introduce a direct payment plan to bypass the App Store, the popular game is back on iOS. The comeback appeared in jeopardy after Apple initially refused to approve Fortnite's bid before Apple relented this week, clearing the app for U.S. users. It's also back in the European Union, where alternative app marketplaces have been mandated since last year. Fortnite maker Epic Games had previewed the updated app's new payment buttons to let players buy V-bucks currency to spend on character 'cosmetics' like outfits, wraps for weapons or dance movements known as 'emotes.' One button leads to Apple's in-app purchasing system while the other is for Epic's own payment system, which can earn players up to 20% extra V-bucks for their accounts. Kindle Amazon has updated its Kindle app to add a button so that users can more easily buy books directly from their iPhones. Previously, users could only look up books and download a sample on the app, but did not have an option to buy directly. They had to open up their web browser and log in to their Amazon accounts to make the purchase, or else buy it from a Kindle reader. Now, U.S.-based readers can tap the new 'Get Book' button in the Kindle iOS app, which the ecommerce giant says will take them directly to their mobile web browser to complete the purchase. 'We regularly make improvements to our apps to help ensure we are providing customers the most convenient experience possible,' Amazon said in a statement. Patreon If you support online creators by paying for their podcasts, videos, music or other content on Patreon, you've now got the option to bypass Apple when buying subscriptions. The subscription platform updated its iOS app so that fans in the U.S. purchasing memberships have the option to skip Apple's checkout option that includes a 30% fee and instead use Patreon's own checkout option. The update app lets fans pay directly from the Patreon app by tapping the Join button. You can use credit cards, PayPal, Venmo or even the Apple Pay mobile wallet. There's still the option to stick with Apple's in-app purchasing system — displayed less prominently underneath the Join button — which will include Apple's fees, according to screenshots posted on Patreon's website. Patreon said the update doesn't apply to fans in other countries. However, it does mean creators based outside of the U.S. whose fans are in the country will be able to access the new payment option. The platform said that based on Apple's feedback, eventually it will move its alternative checkout method to an external browser so it can continue to avoid adding the extra fees. ___ Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press
