Apple revises EU App Store fees and store rules

The company dropped its Core Technology Fee in the EU, set a flat 5% commission for some sales, and loosened entry rules for rival app stores.

Apple has announced another overhaul of its App Store terms in the European Union as it tries to resolve a long-running dispute with the European Commission. The changes affect how developers pay Apple for digital sales and how easily they can launch competing app marketplaces. That makes the update important well beyond Apple itself, because it touches pricing, distribution, and platform control in one of the world’s biggest digital markets. Even so, the new setup is still likely to face scrutiny from developers who have long argued that Apple’s fee structure is too complicated.

Apple drops the Core Technology Fee in the EU

The biggest shift is Apple’s decision to remove its per-install Core Technology Fee for apps distributed outside the App Store. In its place, the company will charge a flat 5% commission on digital goods sold in apps distributed outside Apple’s store or on the web.

That is a significant change because the previous system relied on several separate charges, making it harder for developers to predict what they would owe. Apple had already revised its EU fees last year after being fined €500 million for failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act, but that version was criticized as overly complex. Some critics called it “malicious compliance,” arguing that Apple had formally changed its rules without making them much easier to deal with.

With the new model, Apple is again trying to align its terms with EU requirements while keeping a commission-based business structure in place.

Apple sets new rates for in-app purchases and outside payments

Apple also changed the fees tied to in-app purchases and alternative payment processing. Under the new terms, Apple’s in-app purchase fee is 26%, down from 30% under its traditional terms.

Many developers will still pay less. Apple said most will remain eligible for a 15% fee through special programs including the App Store Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, and Video Partner Program. The same reduced rate also applies to apps with auto-renewing subscriptions after the first year.

For apps that use external payment processing, Apple will charge a 20% commission. Developers in the special programs will pay 10% instead.

The company also said developers will be locked into the payment option they choose for 12 months. That applies whether they use Apple’s own in-app purchases, external payments, or a mix of both.

For developers, those terms can directly affect pricing, margins, and how much control they keep over customer transactions. For users, the effects may be less visible but still real, showing up in app prices, subscription terms, or payment flows. According to IT-PUB News, that practical impact is one reason the fee changes matter beyond a regulatory filing.

Apple still limits some external payment links

Apple’s revised rules also keep restrictions on external links inside apps. The company said those links will be allowed for some developers, but not for apps in the Kids category, where Apple is maintaining tighter controls for safety reasons.

Users under 18 will also need parental approval before making purchases outside the App Store.

So while Apple is loosening some parts of its system, it is still keeping guardrails around payment and linking practices. That balance is likely to remain a point of contention. Developers get more flexibility, but Apple still decides how and when users can be directed to outside payment options.

Apple lowers barriers for alternative app stores

Another major part of the update is Apple’s decision to relax the requirements for developers that want to operate an alternative app store in the EU.

Until now, Apple required developers to either prove significant financial backing or show that they had been in the Apple Developer Program for at least two years and had an app with more than 1 million first annual installs in the EU in the previous calendar year. Those conditions made it difficult for smaller or newer players to enter the market.

Apple says it is now removing the requirement to prove those milestones, though developers can still use them as one way to qualify. The company is also adding other ways to show financial backing, including public company status, financial audits, and qualifying venture capital funding.

That could matter for the broader app ecosystem in Europe. Easier access to alternative marketplaces may give developers more ways to distribute software outside Apple’s own store. At the same time, Apple is still keeping financial stability as a condition, suggesting it wants to limit risk even as it opens the door wider.

Apple makes another bid to satisfy EU regulators

The update is the latest step in Apple’s effort to bring its EU App Store business terms into line with the Digital Markets Act. The company has spent years in repeated disputes with regulators over the fairness and complexity of its rules.

Last year’s €500 million fine added pressure on Apple to change course. The risk of further penalties made the issue more urgent, and the company responded with a revised fee structure. This latest version is simpler on paper, replacing the Core Technology Fee with a flat commission and laying out new payment rates more clearly.

But the fight is not only about percentages. It is also about control. Regulators want more openness in digital markets, while Apple has tried to preserve a tight framework around its platform economics and user protections.

For developers in the EU, the immediate question is whether this latest revision will finally feel workable. For Apple, the stakes are broader: avoiding further regulatory penalties while protecting a profitable platform model. How regulators and developers respond will shape how app distribution and payments work across the European market.