Apple has proposed charging U.S. developers up to a 15 percent commission when users leave an app through an external purchase link and complete a transaction on the developer’s website.
Under Apple’s proposal, standard apps that normally pay a 30 percent App Store commission would pay 15 percent on qualifying web purchases. Developers enrolled in Apple’s Small Business Program would pay 5 percent, while some partner programs and subscription renewals would face a 10 percent rate.
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The proposed structure includes:
- 15 percent for standard apps
- 10 percent for News Partner Program, Video Partner Program, Mini Apps Partner Program members, and subscription renewals
- 5 percent for Small Business Program developers earning under $1 million per year
The fee would apply when a user taps an external purchase link inside an app and then completes the transaction on the linked website. For example, if a Spotify user follows an in-app link to Spotify’s website and buys a subscription there, Apple says the transaction should still generate a commission.
Apple submitted the proposal to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide what fee Apple can reasonably charge for the use of its App Store platform and intellectual property.
Apple argues that a zero percent fee would fail to account for the value the App Store provides developers, including distribution, platform access, security tools, and other services connected to reaching iPhone users.
Court will decide Apple’s final fee
The dispute dates back to Apple’s legal battle with Epic Games, which led to an order requiring Apple to let developers direct users to outside payment options.
Apple later introduced external purchase fees ranging from 12 to 27 percent, but the court found the structure violated its earlier order and stopped Apple from charging link-out commissions in April 2025.
An appeals court later upheld the contempt finding while also ruling that Apple can receive compensation for its intellectual property, sending the fee question back to the district court.
The court will now review Apple’s proposal alongside Epic Games’ response before setting the commission Apple can charge in the United States.
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