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Apple has asked a federal judge to let it charge developers up to 15% on purchases made through external payment links in iOS apps. The proposal, filed on August 13, 2026, represents Apple’s latest attempt to monetize transactions it doesn’t directly process, even after a court found it in contempt for previous commission practices.
Right now, Apple is charging exactly 0% on those external-link transactions. That’s not generosity. It’s a court order.
The Epic saga continues
This chapter of Apple’s commission drama traces back to the Epic Games v. Apple antitrust case that’s been grinding through the legal system since 2020. A 2021 injunction from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers required Apple to let developers include external payment links in their apps without imposing anti-steering restrictions. In plain terms: Apple had to let apps tell users they could pay somewhere else, and it couldn’t punish them for doing so.
Apple’s initial response was to slap a 27% commission on those external transactions. The court was not impressed. An April 30, 2025 contempt order barred Apple from charging any commissions on external-link purchases, dropping the rate to zero.
Now Apple is back with a new pitch: 15% for apps that would normally fall under its standard 30% in-app purchase rate, with potentially lower rates for smaller developers or certain subscription categories. Apple argues the fees would cover what it calls “genuine and reasonably necessary” platform coordination costs.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers denied a motion to pause the district-court proceedings around August 11-12, meaning the question of what Apple can actually charge will move forward at the trial level. That’s separate from Supreme Court considerations regarding Apple’s compliance with the earlier contempt findings from June 2026.
The math behind the ask
Apple’s proposal essentially cuts its standard take rate in half for external purchases. The company’s typical commission on in-app purchases is 30%, reduced to 15% for smaller developers through its App Store Small Business Program and for subscriptions after the first year. By proposing a 15% ceiling on external transactions, Apple is positioning the rate as already discounted.
The court now has to determine what a “reasonable” commission looks like. That calculation will likely hinge on whether Apple’s costs are measured by what it actually spends managing external links, or by the broader value of iOS as a distribution platform.
What this means for the app economy
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act already requires Apple to allow alternative payment systems with limited commission authority. South Korea and Japan have enacted similar rules. A US federal court landing on a specific number would create a benchmark that regulators worldwide could reference.
For now, the district court proceedings are moving forward, the Supreme Court has its own track to resolve, and Apple’s 0% commission rate remains in effect.
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