Apple will take a 27% commission on purchases made in dating apps via third-party payment options in the Netherlands, as it works to comply with a Dutch regulatory ruling.
Apple announced on its developer support site that it would collect 27% commission instead of its usual 30% cut on transactions made in dating apps using outside payment methods. The decreased commission excludes the value for collection and remittance of taxes that the company carries out.
Consistent with the ACM’s order, dating apps that are granted an entitlement to link out or use a third-party in-app payment provider will pay Apple a commission on transactions. Apple will charge a 27% commission on the price paid by the user, net of value-added taxes. This is a reduced rate that excludes value related to payment processing and related activities. Developers will be responsible for the collection and remittance of any applicable taxes, such as the Netherlands’ value-added tax (VAT), for sales processed by a third-party payment provider.
Apple had announced last month that it will comply with a Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) ruling that says the company must allow developers to implement third-party payment services to pay for in-app purchases in dating apps.
Apple has pointed out that it will not be directly aware of purchases made using alternative methods.
If you’re a developer using one of these entitlements, it will be your responsibility to provide timely support to customers if questions or issues arise stemming from alternative payment options. Because Apple will not be aware of purchases made using alternative methods, Apple will not be able to assist users with refunds, payment history, subscription management, and other issues encountered when purchasing digital goods and services through these alternative purchasing methods. You will be responsible for addressing such issues with customers.
A December ruling by the ACM said that by restricting dating apps from using third-party payment methods, Apple is engaging in an “abuse of market power.” Apple could have been fined up to a maximum of 50 million euros per week ($57 million) if it did not allow dating apps to offer alternative payment options.
Apple is appealing the ACM ruling, arguing that the ruling is not in the best interests of App Store users. Apple says it is “concerned these changes could compromise the user experience, and create new threats to user privacy and data security.”