Apple Proposes 15% Cut On Purchases Made Outside The App Store

SAN FRANCISCO —

Apple told a federal court on Thursday how much it wants to charge developers who send customers to payment systems outside the App Store, proposing a top rate of 15 percent for standard apps, according to a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California reported by TechCrunch.

Under the proposal, apps enrolled in Apple's Small Business Program would pay a 5 percent commission, while apps in its Video Partner Program, News Partner Program and Mini Apps Partner Program, along with subscription renewals, would pay 10 percent, TechCrunch and The Verge both reported. Standard apps, meaning those that currently pay Apple a 30 percent cut on App Store purchases, would face the full 15 percent rate.

The filing is the latest turn in Apple's yearslong legal fight with Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, over how much Apple can charge developers who steer customers to outside payment methods. Apple had asked to delay answering the court's request for its commission structure until the Supreme Court ruled on a separate question in the case, over whether Apple was in contempt of a court order for charging a 27 percent commission and restricting how developers could display external payment links, according to TechCrunch. The Supreme Court rejected that request on Thursday, forcing Apple to disclose its numbers.

A judge, an appeals court and a new number

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in April 2025 that Apple had "willfully" defied her 2021 order requiring it to let developers link to outside payment options, and she barred the company from collecting any commission on those purchases, The Verge reported. A panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld that contempt finding but said Apple could charge fees based on its "necessary costs," sending Apple back to court to define what that means in dollar terms.

Apple's filing argues that those necessary costs would be "essentially zero," according to The Verge, but the company says it should still be allowed to recoup "at least some compensation" for the tools and services it provides developers. Epic Games has already pushed back, calling Apple's proposed rates "far outside of the bounds" of the appeals court's guidance and saying it plans to file a formal opposition backed by expert witnesses within 60 days, The Verge reported.

How it stacks up against Google

Apple pointed to Google's Play Store as a benchmark, noting that Google charges a 20 percent link-out fee for standard apps, 15 percent for apps in special programs, and 10 percent on subscription renewals, and that Epic had already agreed to those terms, according to TechCrunch. Google opened Play Store purchases to outside billing systems on June 30 and settled on a flat 10 percent commission regardless of payment method, Engadget reported. In a related dispute, a judge has also ordered Google to remove obstacles that made it difficult for Android users to install rival app stores, according to Engadget.