Published · 3d agoProduct2 min read
Apple's EU reset gives developers payment choice, then locks it for 12 months
The terms Apple published on August 18 take effect October 1, 2026, and the payment mix a developer picks is fixed for a year. On standard rates the options are 11 points apart.
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What happened
- Apple's Apple Developer Program License Agreement, updated on August 18, 2026, introduces new business terms and policies for apps distributed in the EU, following collaboration with the European Commission; the primary updates go into effect on October 1, 2026.
- Under the updated terms, developers can offer Apple In-App Purchase alongside alternative payment options, which had not previously been permitted in the EU, subject to presentation requirements.
- Developers distributing apps in the EU will select their payment options (Apple In-App Purchase, alternative payment processing in their app, linking out to the web, or a combination) and must maintain those options for 12 months.
- For App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase the commission will be 26 percent; for the vast majority of developers, including those in the App Store Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program or Video Partner Program, and for auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year, it will be 15 percent.
- For App Store apps using alternative payment processing the commission will be 20 percent, with a reduced rate of 10 percent for developers in the named programs.
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Why it matters
Apple's updated Developer Program License Agreement, published on August 18, 2026, lets apps in EU storefronts offer alternative payment methods and offers alongside Apple In-App Purchase, which had not previously been permitted in the EU [1] [2]. The condition attached is the figure worth reading: developers distributing apps in the EU select their payment options, Apple In-App Purchase, alternative in-app processing, linking out to the web, or a combination, and must maintain that choice for 12 months [3].
What the lock holds in place is a price. For App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase the commission will be 26 percent, or 15 percent for developers in the Small Business, Mini Apps Partner or Video Partner programs and for auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year [4]. Alternative in-app payment processing carries 20 percent, reduced to 10 percent for those same programs [5]. Linking out of the app to complete a purchase carries 15 percent, also 10 percent for those programs [6]. Apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or the web pay a 5 percent Core Technology Commission [7].
So the standard-rate distance between the most expensive and the cheapest App Store route is 11 percentage points, and 5 points for developers on the reduced rates [8] [9]. That is the spread a team is committing to for a year. Because the terms take effect on October 1, 2026, a selection made at go-live cannot be revisited until October 2027 [10]. Apple's stated reason is consistency and clarity for users, with presentation requirements attached [11].
The rest of the package softens the arithmetic: the per-install Core Technology Fee is replaced by the 5 percent Core Technology Commission, and the Initial Acquisition Fee and Store Services Fee are eliminated [12] [13]. Apple says the changes resolve its disagreements with the European Commission over business terms and alternative distribution [14]. Separately, apps in the Kids category will not include links to websites to complete transactions, and under-18 users must pass a parental gate for alternative payments or link-outs [15] [16].
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- [1]
Apple's Apple Developer Program License Agreement, updated on August 18, 2026, introduces new business terms and policies for apps distributed in the EU, following collaboration with the European Commission; the primary updates go into effect on October 1, 2026.
ReportedView cited source - [2]
Under the updated terms, developers can offer Apple In-App Purchase alongside alternative payment options, which had not previously been permitted in the EU, subject to presentation requirements.
ReportedView cited source - [3]
Developers distributing apps in the EU will select their payment options (Apple In-App Purchase, alternative payment processing in their app, linking out to the web, or a combination) and must maintain those options for 12 months.
ReportedView cited source - [4]
For App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase the commission will be 26 percent; for the vast majority of developers, including those in the App Store Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program or Video Partner Program, and for auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year, it will be 15 percent.
ReportedView cited source - [5]
For App Store apps using alternative payment processing the commission will be 20 percent, with a reduced rate of 10 percent for developers in the named programs.
ReportedView cited source - [6]
For App Store apps that link out of the app to complete purchases the commission will be 15 percent, with a reduced rate of 10 percent for developers in the named programs.
ReportedView cited source
Sources & coverage · 2 publishers
The reporting this story was synthesized from, earliest first. Every link goes to the original.
- developer.apple.com3d agoChanges for apps in the European Union - Support - Apple Developer
- developer.apple.com3d agoChanges for apps in the European Union - Latest News - Apple Developer
