In response to a federal court decision, Apple has unveiled a new fee structure for U.S. developers directing users to external websites, potentially reshaping app commerce and developer strategies.
Apple has proposed a new fee structure for U.S. developers who send users to external websites to complete purchases and subscriptions, a move that follows a federal court ruling forcing the company to loosen its control over app payments. According to filings in the Northern District of California, the company wants to take as much as 15% of those transactions, with lower rates for some publishers and small businesses.
The proposal appears to preserve a cut of external sales even after a judge found in May 2025 that Apple’s fees on purchases made outside the App Store were anti-competitive and had to stop. That ruling also struck down Apple’s anti-steering restrictions, which had limited how developers could point users towards cheaper payment options on the web. Subsequent policy changes allowed U.S. apps to add external links or payment gateways, but industry reporting suggests adoption has been limited, in part because Apple’s earlier external-payment framework still carried a 27% charge.
Under the new schedule, most apps would pay 15%, while members of Apple’s News Partner, Video Partner and Mini Apps programmes would face 10% on qualifying transactions, including subscription renewals. Developers in the Small Business Programme, which covers companies with annual revenue below $1 million, would pay 5%. The commission would apply when a user leaves an app through a direct link and then completes the purchase on a website. In practice, that means a Spotify customer who starts in the app and subscribes on the service’s website could still trigger a fee to Apple.
Apple says the rates are based on expert analysis and are a fair payment for access to the App Store platform and its intellectual property. The court will now review Apple’s proposal alongside Epic Games’ position before deciding what, if any, commission the company may collect from developers on these outside-app transactions. Reports from 2024 and early 2025 indicate that many developers have been reluctant to use external billing options, suggesting that the practical effect of the policy fight may depend as much on economics as on the legal outcome.
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