Apple announces important updates to its compliance plan with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union, a set of regulations designed to foster competition and protect consumers in the digital environment.
These updates, which will go into effect this fall, are specifically aimed at developers. with apps available in EU stores within the App Store and affect those who use StoreKit’s functionality for external purchase links, also referred to as the “external purchase link right.”
Context: Why these updates? The European Commission, with its recent Digital Markets Act, has imposed new rules on large technology platforms such as Apple, to prevent monopolistic practices and ensure fair competition. Part of these rules requires Apple to allow developers to offer users Payment options outside the App Store ecosystemwhich includes links to alternative stores, external websites or even other applications. In response, Apple has had to modify the conditions of its platform to comply with these requirements in the European Union.
These are the changes for developers if they use external purchase links
In simple terms, it is a function that allows developers to include links in their applications that redirect users to external platforms where they can complete transactions, whether to buy subscriptions, digital products or services offered by the app. Until now, Apple strictly limited these practices, requiring all transactions to be made within the app through its own payment system. However, new EU regulations have forced Apple to relax these restrictions, with the following key changes:
Promotion and communication of offers in external destinations. With the new terms, developers are now free to communicate and promote offers for purchases on external destinations of their choice. This means you can direct users to an external website, another app store, or even another app, where they can make the purchase. This destination can be accessible outside the app, or also within the app via a web view (a kind of built-in browser).
Design and execution of promotions within the app. You no longer need to limit information about offers to what is exclusively available within the app. You can now design and execute promotional communications that include details about subscription pricing or other offers, whether in- or out-of-app. For example, as a developer you can now explain how users can subscribe to a service through an external website, as long as the information provided is accurate and clear.
Unrestricted interactive links. Another new feature is the possibility of including interactive links that can be “touched”, clicked or scanned (using a QR code, for example), to take users directly to their purchase destination. Previously, such links were restricted, but now developers can use any number of URLs, without needing to declare them in the app’s Info.plist file. In addition, the inclusion of additional parameters, redirects, and intermediate links leading to specific landing pages is allowed.
Updated commercial terms. Along with these new capabilities, Apple has introduced significant changes to the commercial terms for apps that use this external linking functionality in the EU. It’s crucial to understand these new terms, as they could have a direct impact on your earnings as a developer:
- Reduced commissions: If you choose to continue using Apple’s In-App Purchase system, you will now be charged a reduced fee of 10% or 17% (depending on your developer profile and transaction type), instead of the standard fees. This reduction also applies if you use an alternative Payment Service Provider (PSP) to complete in-app transactions.
- Initial acquisition fee: If you choose to redirect users to an external channel (cas a website)Apple will charge you a 5% fee on all sales of digital goods and services made within 12 months of the user’s initial installation of the app. This fee reflects the value that Apple believes the App Store brings by connecting developers with customers in the EU.
- Store service fee: In addition to the initial acquisition fee, you will be required to pay an additional 10% fee on all sales made within a fixed 12-month period from the app installation, including updates and reinstalls. This cost is justified as compensation for the ongoing services Apple provides, such as app distribution, security and trust, re-discovery and re-engagement tools, and more. For developers who are part of the App Store Small Business Program or who have subscriptions that renew automatically after the first year, these rates will be even lower.
Requirements and responsibilities for developers
By enabling these external links, you as a developer also take on new responsibilities to ensure that Apple’s privacy and security standards are met. The main requirements you must ensure for your app are as follows:
- Eligibility Verification: You will need to implement a system that checks whether the user is on an EU store where external purchase links are allowed and whether the app supports external purchases in that region.
- Transparency in communication: It is essential that the information about the digital products or services you offer is accurate. In addition, all purchases made through the external link must be available for use within the app.
- Disclosure sheet in the app: When a user is redirected to an external destination via a link, your app must display a “disclosure sheet” explaining that the transaction will be with the developer, not Apple. This step is required for apps running on newer versions of Apple’s operating systems (i.e., iOS 14, iOS 13, and iOS 12).OS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, watchOS 11).
Preparing for change: What to do now?
If you are a developer with apps in the EU, it is crucial that you start preparing for these changes before they come into effect this autumn. The key steps we recommend you take are as follows:
- Review and accept the new ones addendums: To use the new features, your Apple Developer Program account holder will need to accept one of the addendums available when they are released this fall. This will assign your account the necessary permissions to implement external links and other alternative payment options.
- Evaluate the financial impact: Use the tools Apple provides, such as the fee calculator, to evaluate how these new fees will impact your revenue and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly.
- Implement eligibility checks: Make sure your app can properly check whether a user can make external purchases based on their region. This may require updates to your app code to integrate new APIs that Apple will make available.
- Design the disclosure sheet: Plan how the disclosure sheet will be displayed in your app when users are redirected to an external platform. Apple will provide templates and design guides that you can follow to meet this requirement.
Better rates and more options
Apple’s new conditions for the use of external purchase links in the European Union mark a significant change in How developers can manage and promote their digital productsWhile they offer more flexibility, they also introduce higher fees if external links are used and responsibilities that each developer must understand and manage.
All these changes will arrive in the fall in the form of updates to the next operating systems, but it never hurts Check out key information provided by Apple, for example on the Core Technology Fee. All the news is also explained in Apple’s own developer news page.
Stay informed and make sure your app is ready for these changes, as compliance with These new regulations will be key to continuing to operate in the European Union App StoreAdapting to these regulations is not only essential to comply with the Digital Markets Act, but also to make the most of the new opportunities that these conditions can offer.