In a landmark agreement, Apple has decided to introduce a change in the App Store that will give developers the ability to share purchase options outside of their iOS app with users. Besides this, Apple will continue to maintain some of their existing policies, and they also launched a fund to assist small US developers.
The agreement was made between Apple and the plaintiffs in the Cameron et al v, and introduces a few terms and changes that should benefit developers overall. These include:
- Developers can use now communications, such as email, to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS app. Apple will not take any commission for purchases taking place outside of their app or the App Store.
- Price points available to developers have been expanded for subscriptions, in-app purchases, and paid apps from fewer than 100 to more than 500.
- Search results will continue to be based on objective characteristics like downloads, star ratings, text relevance, and user behavior signals
- Businesses earning less than $1 million annually will continue to benefit from the reduced commission, while larger developers pay the App Store’s standard commission on app purchases and in-app payments.
- The option for developers to appeal the rejection of an app based on perceived unfair treatment will continue to exist.
Lastly, Apple has established a fund for small US developers to assist them, and eligible developers include those who have earned $1 million or less through the US storefront for all of their apps in every calendar year in which the developers had an account between June 4, 2015, and April 26, 2021.
All of these changes will likely be received positively by developers all around the world. In particular, Apple introducing the ability to allow purchase options outside the App Store should have influence the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, whose verdict is yet to come.