Apple Overhauls App Store Terms for the EU

21.08.2026

• Contact our lawyer to learn more

On August 18, 2026, Apple announced a single set of business terms for all developers distributing apps in the European Union, retiring three separate regimes at once. The move serves two purposes: it settles, at least for now, part of the running fight with the European Commission over the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and it swaps the Core Technology Fee – a per-install charge above a threshold – for a flat 5% commission on digital transactions outside the App Store. Developers can sign the new terms today, but they only take effect on October 1, 2026.

Background

This is the latest chapter in a years-long fight between Apple and the Commission over the DMA. Back in April 2025, the Commission fined Apple €500 million for restricting developers' ability to steer users toward cheaper payment options outside the App Store – a decision Apple is separately appealing in case T-438/25. To the Commission, the Core Technology Fee was never just a commercial term; it looked like a way to sidestep the obligation to allow free steering to alternative payments.

REVERA has previously covered Apple's status as a DMA gatekeeper: in July 2026 the General Court of the EU rejected all of Apple's actions challenging the designation of the App Store and iOS as a single core platform service, and upheld the interoperability obligations toward competitors' hardware. With little room left to challenge the DMA's jurisdiction itself, Apple had reason to negotiate – and the settlement announced on August 18 looks like the result.

What changes

Three parallel sets of terms collapse into one, for every developer distributing apps in the EU. The Core Technology Fee is gone, replaced by a 5% Core Technology Commission; the initial acquisition fee and the store services fee are scrapped separately.
The new commission structure:

• 26% for App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase (15% for participants in the Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, Video Partner Program, and for subscription renewals after the first year);
• 20% for App Store apps using alternative payment processing (10% for the same categories);
• 15% for App Store apps linking out to complete purchases (10% for the same categories);
• and a 5% Core Technology Commission for apps distributed via alternative marketplaces or the web.

Notably, the 15% EU link-out rate is nearly identical to the commission Apple proposed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on August 13, 2026, in the Epic Games case for comparable external payments.

Alternative payments and child safety

For the first time in the EU, developers may combine Apple In-App Purchase with alternative payment methods within the same app, subject to presentation requirements. In practice, a single app could route one purchase through Apple's own payment sheet and another through the developer's own checkout, without the user ever leaving the screen. Whichever configuration is chosen – In-App Purchase, in-app alternative processing, web link-out, or a combination – must be maintained for 12 months.

In parallel, new child-safety rules apply: apps in the Kids category may not link out to external websites for payment; users under 18 require a parental gate before completing a purchase through alternative processing or a web link-out; and users under 13 are barred from web link-out purchases entirely. In EU member states with stricter consent thresholds for minors over 13, these measures scale accordingly.

Wider access to alternative marketplaces

Apple is widening the pool of companies eligible to operate an alternative app marketplace or distribute apps via the web in the EU: eligibility now reaches companies with a moderate Dun & Bradstreet financial-stability score, publicly traded entities and their subsidiaries, venture-backed companies, audited entities, and government, educational, or nonprofit organizations. Broader eligibility does not mean lighter scrutiny, though: Mandatory Notarization – a baseline review of functionality and protection from serious threats – still applies to every alternatively distributed app.

Regulatory context

The Commission has not yet taken a formal position on the new terms: the announcement is framed as the result of negotiation rather than an enforcement act. This sets the current episode apart from earlier ones – the parallel Indian competition case over the App Store, which REVERA also covered, and the ongoing Epic Games proceedings in the U.S. show that Apple is now managing distinct commission models across jurisdictions at the same time, which raises both regulatory workload and the risk of conflicting obligations. Until Brussels takes a formal position, the settlement is a negotiated data point, not a closed case – worth watching for any other DMA-designated gatekeeper weighing a similar move.

REVERA recommendations

 

1. Model the financial impact of the new commission structure for each EU distribution channel – App Store with Apple In-App Purchase, alternative processing, web link-out, and fully alternative distribution.
2. Before selecting a payment configuration, account for the mandatory 12-month retention period and plan the underlying business case for that full term.
3. If your app targets minors or has a substantial under-18 EU user base, verify the parental-gate mechanics and web link-out restrictions before October 1, 2026.
4. If considering entry into an alternative EU marketplace or web distribution, check the company's eligibility against the expanded criteria and budget time for Notarization review.
5. Cross-check the new terms against existing agreements and any open DMA-related disputes, since signing them may affect your company's position in proceedings already underway.

REVERA's Arbitration & IT Disputes practice is ready to assess the financial and legal impact of Apple's new terms on your company and to review the structure of your distribution and payment agreements in light of DMA requirements.