Apple’s new business terms for apps in the European Union take effect Thursday, October 1, 2026, which by September 12 leaves developers under three weeks to act. Apple’s own pages point to four things to check before then: sign the updated developer agreement, choose payment options with a 12-month lock-in in mind, confirm marketplace eligibility if distributing outside the App Store, and know which rate on the new 26/20/15/5 card applies.
Apple announced the underlying changes on August 18, 2026, describing them as the result of collaboration with the European Commission that moves every developer in the region onto a single set of business terms.
The countdown to October 1
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| August 18, 2026 | Apple announces the new EU terms and publishes an updated developer license agreement |
| September 12, 2026 | Terms can be signed now; about three weeks remain |
| October 1, 2026 | New rate card, Core Technology Commission and marketplace eligibility rules take effect |
| 12 months after signing | Chosen payment options must stay in place under the new lock-in rule |
Sign the updated developer agreement, and check which one
Apple published an updated Apple Developer Program License Agreement on August 18, 2026, carrying the EU terms, effective October 1, 2026. A separate updated agreement, published June 18, 2026, carries Brazil-specific terms and also takes effect October 1, 2026. They are two different agreements, tied to two different jurisdictions, that happen to share a deadline.
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| License agreement | Published | Jurisdiction | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU business terms PDLA | August 18, 2026 | European Union | October 1, 2026 |
| Brazil terms PDLA | June 18, 2026 | Brazil | October 1, 2026 |
Choose payment options with the 12-month lock-in in mind
Once the new terms are in effect, a developer’s selected combination of Apple In-App Purchase, alternative in-app processing, and web link-out has to stay in place for 12 months. Apple’s terms allow the three routes to combine for the first time in the EU, which is a new decision for a developer to make, not a continuation of the prior single-route setup.
Check marketplace eligibility if you plan to distribute outside the App Store
From October 1, running an alternative app marketplace or distributing via a developer’s own website in the EU requires meeting one of seven Apple tests, from Dun & Bradstreet financial-stability standards to a letter of credit of USD 1,000,000 or one million first annual installs worldwide. Every alternatively distributed app still requires Notarization review regardless of which test a marketplace operator meets. A marketplace operator earning less than both €10 million in global revenue over the last 12 months and €1 million in lifetime EU marketplace revenue owes no Core Technology Commission at all.
Know the rate that applies to your app
Apple’s rate card runs 26 percent standard or 15 percent reduced for App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase, 20 or 10 percent for alternative in-app processing, 15 or 10 percent for linking out to the web within a 7-day attribution window, and a flat 5 percent Core Technology Commission for an alternative marketplace or a developer’s own website. The reduced rate covers the Small Business Program, the Mini Apps Partner Program, the Video Partner Program, and subscriptions renewing after their first year.
What Apple has not said
- Apple has not published a single combined checklist; the rate card, the marketplace eligibility rules and the license agreement sit on separate pages.
- Apple has not said what happens to an app whose developer has not signed the updated agreement by October 1.
- Apple has not addressed how this business-terms settlement relates to the DMA’s separate interoperability deadlines, which run through June 2027.
As of September 12, 2026, the clock reads under three weeks to October 1. Developers can find the full rate card, the marketplace eligibility criteria and the updated license agreement on Apple’s developer support page today. Our iOS 27 coverage and full event recap track everything else Apple has published this month.