Apple proposes 15% link-out commission in the US: why this turns pricing into funnel design
Per 9to5Mac (Aug 13, 2026), Apple submitted a proposed fee structure for purchases made outside App Store IAP in the US: 15% standard, 10% partner programs and subscription renewals, and 5% for Small Business. For app teams, the interesting part is less the number, and more the operational reality: pricing, UX, entitlement verification, and support now become one system.
Original post (source): 9to5Mac - “Apple proposes commissions of up to 15% for off-App Store purchases in the US” (published August 13, 2026)
What’s happening (plain-English)
In the Epic Games case, Apple has filed a proposal for what it should be allowed to charge when developers send US users to pay outside Apple’s in-app purchase system.
The proposal (as summarised by 9to5Mac) is:
- 15% for standard apps (i.e., apps normally subject to a 30% IAP commission)
- 10% for certain partner programs and subscription renewals
- 5% for Small Business Program apps
The key point is that the debate is shifting from “steering: yes/no” to “steering: yes, but at what effective tax rate, and with what compliance and measurement overhead”.
Why this matters for app marketers (beyond the headline %)
Even if your finance model says 15% is attractive vs 30%, the hard part is that payment, entitlement, and trust become a product surface.
1) You are now running a two-stage conversion funnel
If you link out to web checkout:
- you add a new step where users can drop off
- you introduce device and browser variability (in-app browser vs Safari, etc.)
- you are competing with “I can do this in two taps with Apple Pay”
That means the right comparison is not 15% vs 30%. It is 15% vs (30% minus conversion lift and support savings).
2) Entitlement verification becomes your problem to make invisible
If a user pays on the web and the app does not instantly unlock, you get:
- chargeback risk
- refund confusion
- high-friction support tickets
Your retention team will feel this. Users do not distinguish between “payment system” and “app”. They just think it is broken.
3) Pricing and packaging gets harder, not easier
A link-out path forces sharper decisions:
- do you keep price parity across IAP and web?
- do you offer different bundles, and if so, how do you explain it without looking scammy?
- how do you message taxes, regional pricing, and renewals?
Tiny win
Write a one-page US “link-out readiness” checklist:
- the exact screens and copy you would ship for web checkout
- the entitlement sync flow (including worst-case latency)
- the top 5 support macros you will need (“I paid but nothing unlocked”, “I cancelled”, “I was charged twice”, etc.)
If you cannot make that flow feel boring and reliable, link-out is not a margin win. It is a churn and support bet.
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