Apple will remove the per-install Core Technology Fee for developers in the European Union. Instead, a flat 5% commission will apply to digital transactions in apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or on the web.
The new terms take effect on October 1, 2026. Apple is also lowering some App Store commission rates and making it easier for developers to run independent app marketplaces on iOS in the EU. These changes only affect apps distributed within the EU.
Apple described the changes as the result of "close collaboration" with the European Commission.
Apple's New EU App Fees and the DMA Dispute Behind Them
Previously, Apple charged developers 0.50 euro for each app install or annual update after a title reached one million downloads in the EU within a year. This fee applied even if the install did not generate any revenue. It became one of the most disputed parts of Apple's earlier compliance plan.
In its place, apps distributed outside the App Store or on the web will carry a flat 5% Core Technology Commission. Apple's in-app purchase commission for App Store apps drops from 30% to 26%, falling to 15% for developers enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program, the Mini Apps Partner Program, the Video Partner Program, or for auto-renewing subscriptions past their first year.
App Store apps that use alternative payment processing will pay 20%, or 10% if they are in the same qualifying programs. For apps that link users outside the App Store to complete a purchase, Apple's separate initial-acquisition and store-services fees are now combined into a single 15% charge, or 10% for developers in the qualifying programs.
Apple introduced its European compliance framework for the Digital Markets Act in early 2024. This opened the iPhone to competing app stores and payment systems under the law's gatekeeper rules.
The per-install fee soon became the most debated part of the plan. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called it "malicious compliance" in a 2024 social media post.
The European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros on April 23, 2025, for violating the Digital Markets Act's anti-steering rule. Regulators found that Apple's restrictions prevented developers from directing users to purchase options outside the App Store. Apple appealed the penalty two months later and called it "unprecedented."
In January 2026, the Commission started a separate investigation into Apple's fee structure for alternative app stores. Similar inquiries are ongoing for Apple, Alphabet, and Meta.
What Apple's New EU Terms Mean for Developers
Developers have about six weeks before the October 1 start date to decide whether to move to an alternative distribution:
- Compare the new flat 5% Core Technology Commission against the outgoing per-install fee, particularly for high-download apps that previously paid 0.50 euro per install.
- Review the lowered App Store commission tiers, including the drop from 30% to 26%, and the reduced rates under the qualifying developer programs.
- Factor in the eased qualification and operating requirements for running an independent iOS app marketplace in the EU.
- Note that the changes apply only to apps distributed within the EU, while standard global App Store tiers of 15% and 30% remain unchanged elsewhere.
Developers were able to sign the new terms starting Tuesday, ahead of the October 1, 2026 start date. The changes apply only to apps distributed within the EU, and Apple's standard global App Store commission tiers remain unchanged outside the region.
The European Commission had not issued its own public assessment of the revised terms as of Tuesday, so whether regulators consider the changes fully compliant with the Digital Markets Act has not been confirmed.
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