Apple proposes a 15% cut of purchases made outside the App Store

Apple on Thursday proposed new commissions on purchases made through external links inside iOS apps, in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California — after the Supreme Court rejected the company’s bid to delay the disclosure. Apple proposed a standard 15% commission, with a 5% rate for small business developers and 10% for developers enrolled in its Video Partner, News Partner, and Mini Apps Partner programs; subscription renewals would also be charged at a reduced 10%.

The filing is part of Apple’s years-long legal battle with Epic Games over the company’s App Store commission policies, which Epic has alleged are anti-competitive. Apple had tried to delay answering the court’s request for its commission structure, arguing the lower-court proceedings should wait for the Supreme Court to rule on a separate question: whether Apple was in contempt of a court order when it imposed a 27% commission on external-link purchases and restricted how developers could present those links to customers. The Supreme Court’s rejection of that delay on Thursday forced Apple to reveal its planned rates.

Apple has argued it should be permitted to charge fees on in-app purchases to recoup its investment in the tools, technology, and services that support the App Store and its software. The company also compared its proposed rates to Google Play, which charges a 20% link-out commission for standard apps, 15% for apps in special programs, and 10% for subscription renewals — rates Epic Games has already agreed to.

Why it matters

The proposed rates give a first real look at how much Apple is willing to concede in its multi-year fight with developers over App Store fees — and set up a fresh comparison with Google’s less restrictive commission structure.