Apps & Software
Apple cuts EU App Store fees and opens payment options
Apple and the EU agreed on new App Store terms, including third-party payments, external links and revised commissions starting October 1, 2026.
Apple will allow EU developers to use third-party payment processors and link customers to external websites under a new App Store agreement with the European Commission. GSMArena reports that developers can sign the new terms now, with the changes taking effect on October 1, 2026.
Apps can choose Apple’s In-App Purchase system, alternative payment processing, external website links, or a combination of those options. Developers must commit to their chosen combination for 12 months.
How Apple’s new EU commissions work
The revised fees depend on how an app handles payments and where it is distributed:
- Apple In-App Purchase: 26% commission.
- Alternative payment processing inside an App Store app: 20%, or 10% for developers in Apple’s Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program or Video Partner Program.
- External links from an App Store app: 15%, or 10% for developers in those programs.
- Most developers using Apple In-App Purchase: 15%, including qualifying Small Business, Mini Apps and Video Partner Program developers, as well as auto-renewing subscriptions after their first year.
- Apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or the web: a 5% Core Technology Commission.
Children’s apps face additional restrictions. Apps in the Kids category cannot link to external websites, and users under 13 cannot be sent to external sites. Users aged 13 to 17 may use third-party payments or external websites only with a parental gate requiring approval from a parent or guardian.
Apple has also expanded eligibility for companies seeking to run alternative app marketplaces or distribute apps through the web. Applicants must meet at least one of several requirements, including a moderate financial-stability score from Dun & Bradstreet, public-company ownership, venture funding from an established investment firm, a completed audit by a licensed accountant, or status as a government entity, educational institution or nonprofit.
The agreement applies to the European Union. GSMArena also notes that a US judge has separately ordered Apple to change its commission rates in the United States, but the report does not provide further details on that ruling.