Federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled last week that Apple can’t stop apps from linking to external payments|Glen Bledsoe|CC BY 2.0
After a recent court ruling eliminated a commission of up to 30% that the tech giant collects on every app sale, services like Kindle, Spotify and Patreon are letting users buy directly from their websites.
Federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled last week that Apple can’t stop apps from linking to external payments or show warning messages to discourage users from leaving the App Store.
As a result, several products are adding purchase links to their apps. The shift could mean lower prices for users. Without Apple’s 30% commission, apps could reduce subscription rates to $7 from $10.
The change could ripple globally, with Europe, Japan, and South Korea eyeing similar actions. Apple says it is appealing the decision.
In the past, major companies, including X, Microsoft and Meta, have filed petitions challenging App Store policies, particularly regarding Apple’s alternative payment methods.
New changes include:
-
Spotify added subscription prices and a three-month free trial link in-app.
-
Kindle debuted its first “Get Book” button, taking users to Amazon checkout.
-
Patreon, a platform for fans to pay creators, rolled out external payment options.
The judge’s ruling also enabled the Fortnite game maker Epic Games to apply to return to the App Store five years after Apple kicked it out for dodging in-app payments.
Analysts say allowing apps to divert payments to their website could wipe out almost $2 billion annually from US App Store sales. In 2024, App Store sales brought in $11 billion for Apple.