New data shows that Apple is making a lot less money from its cut of app sales this year. Analytics experts at Appfigures report that the company has seen an 18 percent drop in commission revenue in the United States since the start of 2026. This sudden drop comes as the tech giant faces strict new rules that force it to loosen its tight grip on digital payments.
Court orders force the company to change its payment rules
Normally, the tech giant takes a 15 to 30 percent slice of digital purchases made inside the App Store. Now, a court order won by Epic Games forces the company to let app makers point users toward outside payment options without taking a cut. Because of this, the company has not collected fees on those outside links in the US since April 2025.
Other analytics firms are noticing the slowdown too. Sensor Tower reports that consumer spending in the US digital store fell by 6 percent during the second quarter. The impact is also hitting international markets, with revenue dropping in Brazil and Japan after both countries rolled out their own new regulations.
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These changes are already showing up in official financial reports. During an earnings call last month, the company posted $30.7 billion in services revenue for the June quarter. While that number is a record for the period, it fell short of the $31.4 billion that Wall Street expected. The company admitted that the new legal landscape is starting to drag down its services growth.
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