Apple proposes 5-15% commission on non-App Store payments

Apple has asked a federal court to allow it to charge a commission of 5 to 15 percent on purchases made outside the App Store payment system in the United States. The proposal, filed in its long-running antitrust case with Epic Games, was reported on August 14, 2026, by 9to5Mac and MacRumors.

The proposed rates vary by developer category. Apps currently paying Apple a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases would face a 15 percent commission on external payments. A 10 percent rate would apply to apps in Apple's News Partner Program, Video Partner Program, and Mini App Partner Program, as well as subscription renewals. Developers in the Small Business Program, who have paid a 15 percent commission on App Store billing since 2020, would pay 5 percent on external transactions. Apple says the "vast majority" of developers are in the Small Business Program.

The dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games sued Apple over App Store practices. In 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to allow developers to link to external payment systems to avoid the 30 percent commission. Apple subsequently charged commissions of 12 to 27 percent on those transactions, prompting Epic to accuse it of noncompliance. Last year, the judge held Apple in contempt of court and ordered it to stop charging fees on external payments altogether. An appeals court upheld the contempt finding but overturned the fee ban, leaving it to Judge Gonzalez Rogers to set a fair commission.

Google, facing a parallel lawsuit from Epic, opened its Play store to external billing on June 30, 2026, and cut its commission to 10 percent regardless of payment method. In July, Google began allowing third-party app stores on Android. According to The Verge, the two parties recently returned to court, with Epic arguing that setting up rival app stores on Android requires too many steps. The judge ordered Google to remove the barriers, which she described as "anticompetitive friction."