Apple is seeking court approval to reintroduce tiered commissions of 5% to 15% on external links in iOS apps, aiming to recover revenue lost since 2025 following a landmark legal ruling in its dispute with Epic Games.
Apple has asked a US court for permission to resume charging commissions on digital purchases made through external links in iOS apps, setting out a new fee structure of between 5% and 15% in a filing made last Thursday, 13 August, according to reporting cited by The Verge. The proposal would restore a revenue stream Apple has been barred from collecting on off-app purchases since April 2025, after Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found the company had willfully failed to comply with an earlier injunction in the long-running dispute with Epic Games.
In its filing, Apple argues that outside payments still benefit from its software platform, developer tools and security systems, and that a commission is therefore justified to help fund those services. The company has proposed three tiers: 15% for standard apps, 10% for programmes including the Video Partner Programme, News Partner Programme and Mini Apps Partner Programme, as well as subscription renewals, and 5% for developers enrolled in its Small Business Programme. Apple says the structure would still leave most US creators able to sell outside the App Store profitably.
Apple has also pointed to its broader commercial model in arguing that the new charges are consistent with its approach to digital commerce. In its Global Ecosystem Report published in June 2025, the company said it takes less than 10% on digital goods and services bought inside the App Store, while not charging commission on purchases completed outside it, such as subscriptions to services including Hulu, Audible, Spotify and The New York Times. The new proposal would narrow that gap, but only for developers using external links in the US market.
Epic Games has rejected the plan, saying Apple had already accepted that it would not levy fees on purchases made beyond its own store. In a statement quoted by the company, Epic said: “A Epic acredita que estas taxas estão muito além dos limites estabelecidos pelo Nono Circuito sobre taxas permitidas. Temos aproximadamente 60 dias para apresentar a nossa contestação, acompanhada por depoimentos de especialistas”. Under the court timetable, Epic will file its response first, after which Apple will have 30 days to reply, with any further hearing dependent on those filings.
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