Apple Sets New EU App Store Fees

app store apple digital markets act eu european union Aug 21, 2026

New terms beginning October 1 change the cost of Apple, alternative and outside payments, and require developers to keep their chosen payment setup for 12 months.

Apple is changing how apps distributed in the European Union can take payments and what developers pay for each option.

The new terms begin taking effect October 1, 2026. They move EU developers to one set of business terms and replace several existing fee structures, including Apple’s per-install Core Technology Fee.

For subscription businesses, the important change is more choice in how subscribers pay, with different costs and responsibilities attached to each option.

Under the new terms:

Apple In-App Purchase: 26% standard commission, falling to 15% for qualifying programs and auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year.
Alternative payment inside an App Store app: 20% standard commission, falling to 10% for qualifying programs and subscriptions after their first year.
Purchase outside the app through a link: 15% standard commission, falling to 10% for qualifying programs and subscriptions after their first year.
Apps distributed outside the App Store: Apple will replace its per-install Core Technology Fee with a 5% Core Technology Commission on digital transactions.

For purchases made outside the app, Apple applies its commission when the initial sale happens within seven days of the customer following the link.

If that purchase starts an auto-renewing subscription, future renewals remain subject to Apple’s commission.

Apps distributed through the App Store can also offer Apple In-App Purchase alongside alternative payment options. Apple previously did not allow that combination in the EU.

Developers have more choice. They also have to live with that choice for a while.

Once a developer selects Apple In-App Purchase, an alternative processor, an outside purchase option, or a combination of those methods, that payment setup must remain in place across EU storefronts for 12 months.

A Lower Fee Can Come With More Work

The commission rate is only part of the decision.

When Apple processes the payment, Apple also handles payment processing and taxes. It manages subscriptions, refunds and purchase support.

Choose an alternative payment method and more of that work moves back to the business.

Apple says developers using alternative payments are responsible for billing issues and applicable taxes. They also take responsibility for refunds, subscription management and meeting applicable payment and cancellation requirements.

There is reporting work too.

Developers must report alternative-payment transactions to Apple every month so Apple can calculate its commissions. That reporting includes subscription renewals, refunds and corrections. Apple also retains audit rights over those records.

The changes come as Apple continues to respond to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. In 2025, the European Commission found that Apple’s rules restricted developers from fully directing customers to alternative offers and fined the company €500 million.

Insider Take

For subscription operators, the number to pay attention to may be 12 months.

Companies can now make a clearer choice between Apple In-App Purchase, their own payment processor and an outside checkout. A lower commission, though, doesn’t automatically mean a lower total cost.

There is another question too: how much control does the company gain over the subscriber relationship?

Those tradeoffs need to be understood before choosing a payment setup because Apple isn’t allowing developers to keep switching approaches to see which one works best.

The decision is bigger than comparing 26% versus 20% versus 15%.

Subscription operators need to understand what each payment route will actually cost to run, how subscribers perform through it and what work comes back in-house.

With a 12-month commitment, that’s a decision worth modeling before making the switch.

Apple Sets New EU App Store Fees

New terms beginning October 1 change the cost of Apple, alternative and outside payments, and require developers to keep their chosen payment setup for 12 months.

A Lower Fee Can Come With More Work

Insider Take

Sources

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