A Court Just Changed How iOS Apps Can Charge Users
A federal court has ruled that Apple violated its 2021 injunction by blocking developers from linking to external payment methods and by charging a 27% fee on those off-platform transactions. The decision signals a significant shift for native app developers who have long operated under Apple's tightly controlled App Store rules.
Until now, developers couldn't even inform users that cheaper options existed elsewhere. Apple's standard 30% cut—the so-called "Apple Tax"—inflated consumer prices and squeezed developer margins. When Apple introduced the StoreKit External Purchase Link API after the initial injunction, it accompanied external links with a system disclosure sheet warning users they were leaving the app. That "scare screen" steered users back to Apple's payment system, while Apple still applied a 27% commission on transactions it wasn't processing or facilitating.
That structure made web-based pricing impossible. Developers already paying 3–6% to third-party processors faced an additional 27% tax, effectively eliminating any ability to offer lower prices on external payment pages. Apple also limited where links could be placed—forcing them into a separate app section rather than inline purchase flows—and then routed users through generic browser sessions where they had to log in again and manually locate the item they wanted.
The latest ruling ends that practice. Developers may now guide users to external payment pages without Apple obstructing or taxing those transactions.
What Developers Gain Now
- In-app steering is permitted: Developers can embed dynamic, context-aware links that send users straight to external payment pages.
- The Apple tax is gone: No more 27% fee on payments Apple doesn't process.
- Better checkout flow: No warning screens, no dead-end redirects, no forced re-authentication and search.
Developers can now own the payment experience, set their own pricing, and build direct relationships with their users. Those who prefer Apple's in-app payments can stick with the status quo—but those who want their own checkout can build and control it.
The Web Becomes a Real Commerce Surface
While the ruling concerns native apps, its effect on the web is notable. The browser is no longer a fallback; it has become a viable mobile commerce channel. Developers freed from App Store restrictions can build checkout experiences that prioritize speed, security, and customization.
To support this shift, a starter kit has been released that pairs web payments with native apps. The kit connects to Stripe Checkout and is designed for deployment on Vercel, letting teams construct flows tuned for conversion without gatekeepers. Crucially, Apple Pay is still an option—it's fully supported in Safari and, since iOS 16, in other mobile browsers like Chrome and Firefox on iOS. This means external checkout can offer Apple Pay as a familiar, standalone option, independent of Apple's in-app purchase system.
What the Ruling Removes
The practical implications are straightforward. For native developers, real choice exists between Apple's in-app purchases and an owned web checkout. For users, that translates into more transparent pricing, new discount models, and smoother purchase journeys across games, media, productivity apps, and more.
The ruling doesn't dismantle Apple's walled garden entirely, but it opens a gate. The developer's relationship with users—and the payment flows that go with it—can now start moving toward the open web.
