Apple announced on August 18 that it is changing the business terms for apps distributed in the European Union. The Core Technology Fee, a per-install charge aimed at large-scale developers, is being retired in favor of a flat 5 percent commission on digital transactions in apps distributed outside the App Store. The move follows discussions with the European Commission, and the new terms take effect on October 1[1].
From Per-Install Charges to Transaction-Based Commissions
Until now, developers in the EU that passed a certain scale were charged a Core Technology Fee (CTF) for every install. That fee is replaced by the Core Technology Commission (CTC), a flat 5 percent applied to digital transactions in apps distributed outside the App Store[1].
The heart of the change is the shift in what gets billed: installs give way to revenue. A structure where costs accumulate on downloads alone was hard to plan around for apps built on free distribution, or for apps whose user numbers spiked suddenly. With a percentage of sales, the bill does not grow unless revenue does. Alongside this, the initial acquisition fee and the App Store services fee are both eliminated[1].
Every developer distributing apps in the EU will now operate under the same set of business terms. Developers could sign the new terms starting on the day of the announcement, with the changes taking effect October 1[1].
Lower Rates on the App Store Side as Well
App Store commissions were revised too. Apps using Apple In-App Purchase are charged 26 percent, down 4 points from the 30 percent of the traditional terms[2]. Participants in the Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, and Video Partner Program, along with auto-renewing subscriptions after the first year, pay 15 percent instead, which Apple says covers the majority of developers[1].
Apps using alternative payment processing inside the app pay 20 percent, dropping to 10 percent for participants in those programs. Apps that link out of the app to complete a purchase pay 15 percent, again 10 percent for program participants. Apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or the web are subject to the 5 percent Core Technology Commission described above[1].
Alternative Payments and In-App Purchase Can Now Coexist
Developers can now offer alternative payment options alongside Apple In-App Purchase, a combination that was not permitted in the EU before. Presentation requirements govern how those payment options are shown, so that the experience stays consistent for users[1].
There is a catch: the chosen payment method cannot be changed for a year. Whether a developer picks In-App Purchase, in-app alternative processing, a link to the web, or some combination, that decision is locked in for 12 months[1][2]. Given how far apart the commission rates sit, the choice of setup is worth settling well before October.
Carve-Outs for Apps Aimed at Children
Age-based limits come with the expansion of alternative payments. Apps in the App Store Kids category cannot include links to websites that complete payment transactions. For users under 18, any App Store app that uses alternative payment processing or links to an external site must include a parental gate requiring parental involvement before a purchase[1].
For users under 13, links to external sites are not available at all. In EU member states that require parental consent for the digital activity of children aged 13 and above, these protections are strengthened accordingly[1].
Looser Eligibility for Alternative Marketplaces
The requirements for running an alternative app marketplace or distributing apps over the web have been widened as well. Previously, a developer had to demonstrate substantial financial backing, or else have spent at least two years in the Apple Developer Program with an app that exceeded one million first annual installs in the EU during the prior calendar year[2].
Under the new criteria, the requirement to be a large iOS developer is gone. Eligibility can now be established by meeting a standard Dun & Bradstreet financial stability score, being publicly traded or owned by a public company, having raised venture capital from established investment firms, having completed a financial audit by a licensed accountant, or being a government body, educational institution, or nonprofit[1][2].
Apple itself, however, cautions that web distribution lacks the ongoing monitoring it provides. Pointing to the possibility that malicious distribution could go unnoticed for a long time, the company says it will continue to require a baseline review it calls notarization for every app distributed through alternative channels[1].
The Result of a Long Exchange with Regulators
This round of revisions traces back to the exchanges with the European Commission over the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple was fined 500 million EUR (about 92 billion yen) in April 2025 for DMA noncompliance and revised its fee structure that June, but the result was complex enough that critics dismissed it as compliance in name only[2].
The latest change works in the opposite direction, stripping that complexity back. With the acquisition fee and services fee gone and the terms unified across the EU, the rate card at least has become easier to read. How it actually lands will depend on what developers do after October 1.
※1 EUR = 184.6 JPY (as of August 18, 2026)
Summary
Apple is overhauling its business terms for apps in the EU, replacing the per-install Core Technology Fee with a flat 5 percent Core Technology Commission on digital transactions in apps distributed outside the App Store. In-App Purchase is charged at 26 percent, or 15 percent for program participants and auto-renewing subscriptions after the first year, while the initial acquisition fee and store services fee are eliminated. Alternative payments can now run alongside In-App Purchase, though the chosen method is locked for a year. Eligibility rules for alternative marketplaces have been relaxed, and the terms take effect on October 1.
Source [1]: https://www.apple.com/jp/newsroom/2026/08/apple-announces-changes-for-apps-in-the-european-union/
