❯ Apple Proposes Up to 15% Commission on External Link Purchases; Epic Says It Should Be Zero

FORCED FILINGIn the Epic v. Apple case, Apple on August 13 submitted its U.S. external-link purchase commission proposal to the court per Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ instruction: 15% for standard apps, 10% for partner programs covering video, news, and subscription renewals, and 5% for Small Business Program apps — corresponding to the original 30% in-app purchase commission.

COMPARISON DEFENSEThe backdrop: the judge previously issued an injunction requiring Apple to let developers steer users to external purchases; Apple’s appeal to the Supreme Court for a stay was denied, and on August 11 its request to delay submitting the rate proposal was rejected as well. Apple’s core defense is peer comparison: Google Play charges 20%, 15%, and 10% in three tiers for external links, “and Epic accepted those rates” — implying its own 15% is already the low end of the market.

ZERO-FEE CLAIMEpic immediately pushed back: under the Ninth Circuit’s “necessary costs” definition, Apple should charge 0% for external link purchases. Next, the judge will examine whether Apple’s cost evidence can support these three rate tiers, and Apple must file its brief with the Supreme Court on September 14. Developers’ external link pricing strategies can only truly begin once both proceedings conclude.

▪ SIGNALThe dispute has narrowed from “whether external links are allowed” to “how many percentage points the cost evidence can justify,” and Apple’s services business profit margin rides on this evidentiary question.