Apple has announced its most extensive shake-up of App Store policies since the storefront debuted in 2008, detailing a raft of Europe-only rule changes meant to satisfy the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and avert additional fines that could climb to 5 percent of the company’s average daily turnover.
Developers distributing apps to EU customers can now promote external payment options far more freely. The previous limit of a single “static” link has been scrapped in favor of multiple destinations that may carry tracking parameters or redirects, and promotions are no longer confined to a developer’s own website. Native in-app banners or webviews can point users to third-party stores, while Apple’s once-controversial “scare sheet” will appear only the first time a user taps an external link, with an option to suppress it thereafter.
Alongside the policy liberalization, Apple is introducing a three-part fee structure:
- Initial Acquisition Fee: A 2 percent levy on the sale of digital goods or services to new EU users during the first six months after an app is downloaded. Members of Apple’s Small Business Program are exempt.
- Store Services Fee: Split into two tiers. Tier 1 charges 5 percent for minimal App Store features such as distribution, security checks, and basic app management, omitting perks like automatic updates and merchandising tools. Tier 2 carries a 13 percent commission (10 percent for small businesses and long-tenured subscriptions) and preserves the full suite of App Store services.
- Core Technology Charges: Developers on Apple’s “alternative terms” will continue to pay the contentious €0.50 fee for each first annual install above one million, while those staying on standard terms will instead pay a 5 percent “Core Technology Commission” on revenue generated through links to external payment processors. Apple says both schemes will fold into a single “unified business model” on 1 January 2026.
The move comes three months after Brussels levied a €500 million penalty over Apple’s anti-steering practices and threatened additional sanctions if the company failed to open its ecosystem further. A spokesperson told 9to5Mac the firm “disagrees” with the Commission’s stance and will appeal before the 7 July deadline, but must comply in the meantime.
Reaction from the developer community was swift. Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney labelled the revised fees “junk economics masquerading as reform,” arguing they still punish developers who seek alternative payment routes. EU regulators, meanwhile, said they would consult industry stakeholders and “carefully assess” whether Apple’s offer meets DMA requirements before deciding on further action.
For now, developers can adopt the new promotional freedoms immediately, but many are waiting to see whether the fresh fee matrix lightens or merely reallocates the financial burden they have long claimed stifles competition. Apple’s appeal, and the Commission’s verdict, could determine whether the policy shift turns into a genuine liberalisation or just another skirmish in the bloc’s widening antitrust battle with Big Tech.