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Apple Proposes Fees on External App Store Purchases

Apple filed a proposal to collect up to 15 percent on external link purchases, prompting an objection from Epic Games.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Apple proposed linkout fees of 15 percent for standard apps, 10 percent for partner programs and renewals, and 5 percent for small businesses.
  • Apple stated in the filing that its necessary costs to allow external purchases under the Ninth Circuit standard are essentially zero.
  • Epic Games stated it has approximately 60 days to submit an opposition backed by expert witnesses.

Apple proposed a new fee structure on Thursday to collect commissions on digital purchases completed through external web links, as reported by TechCrunch. The filing marks the latest chapter in the company's legal dispute with Epic Games over App Store payments.

Under the proposed rates, Apple would collect a 15 percent fee on purchases made in standard apps. The fee would be 10 percent for subscription renewals and apps enrolled in the Video Partner Program, News Partner Program, or Mini Apps Partner Program. Apps participating in Apple's Small Business Program would pay a 5 percent fee.

Apple is currently barred from taking commissions on external purchases after Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the California district court ruled in April 2025 that the company willfully violated her 2021 injunction. A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel later held that Apple should be permitted to charge fees based on necessary costs. In the new filing, Apple stated that its necessary costs to allow external purchases under that standard would be "essentially zero." The company argued the proposed fees would still permit it to recover "at least some compensation" for its tools and services while allowing developers to link out profitably.

Epic countered that Apple's proposal sits far outside the bounds of the Ninth Circuit's guidance. Epic stated that it has roughly 60 days to file a formal opposition with expert witness testimony. Separately, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on whether Apple willfully violated the April 2025 district court ruling.

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