Patreon Will Update Its iPhone App To Sidestep Apple's Payment System (theverge.com) 21
Following a major court ruling limiting Apple's control over App Store payments, Patreon plans to update its iOS app to allow payments outside Apple's system, letting creators keep more of their earnings. Spotify and Proton are also preparing similar updates. The Verge reports: "This is a huge moment for creators and their businesses," [spokesperson Adiya Taylor] says. "The iOS app is the number one platform for fan engagement on Patreon, and we believe this ruling allows creators to get paid without giving Apple 30 percent. As a first step, we will submit an app update for review by Apple to enable payments outside of IAP so creators keep more from iOS based fan payments."
Last year, Patreon said it was forced to switch to Apple's in-app purchase system, which applied a 30 percent fee to all new memberships purchased in the app, or else risk "being removed from the App Store." "When we first announced rolling out Apple's IAP requirements last year, we shared that we used three principles to guide our decision in how we wanted to move forward: transparency, control, and stability," Taylor says. "Keeping with those principles, we're exploring further action we can take, and we'll continue to keep creators and fans posted on any changes to our experience." Taylor wasn't able to share a timeline for when the update might be rolled out. Further reading: Epic Games Is Launching Webshops To Circumvent App Store Fees
Last year, Patreon said it was forced to switch to Apple's in-app purchase system, which applied a 30 percent fee to all new memberships purchased in the app, or else risk "being removed from the App Store." "When we first announced rolling out Apple's IAP requirements last year, we shared that we used three principles to guide our decision in how we wanted to move forward: transparency, control, and stability," Taylor says. "Keeping with those principles, we're exploring further action we can take, and we'll continue to keep creators and fans posted on any changes to our experience." Taylor wasn't able to share a timeline for when the update might be rolled out. Further reading: Epic Games Is Launching Webshops To Circumvent App Store Fees
New fees (Score:2, Informative)
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No one is forcing Apple to host all apps listed in the app store. The market fee is also completely out of proportion for most apps, just look at the amount of profit Apple makes from the App Store. Just to avoid any confusion: Google isn't any better.
For small developers it's 15%, which is less than they'd pay to Stripe just for payment transaction if the price was $2 or less. Even the big developers pay 15% on recurring subscriptions after a year, and they seem to make a lot of profit off the App Store, so they simply are paying for the value of Apple's lucrative customer base.
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ok then I'm going to ask to court for the right to host my own app install files and for apple to allow side loading.
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Those are good reasons to allow third party stores....
I suspect most of them will have a hard time making a go of it; except for an EPIC who could afford to take a loss if they want just as an FU to Apple. I suspect most 3rd party independent stores simply won't attract enough high revenue apps to make a go of it even at 30% and would be way underwater at the 15% Apple charge smaller developers likely to be attracted to their store. Transaction fees alone would kill most small developers, Stripe for example charges 2.9% plus a .30 cent transaction fee.
Re:New fees (Score:4)
I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue. Expecting Appke to provide free hosting of paid apps is unreasonable and not sustainable long term.
Charging for downloading and hosting is completely reasonable. Having your fingers in the pocket of everything every user does with every app forever after they have downloaded it is not.
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Charging for downloading and hosting is completely reasonable.
The reason Apple is in this mess to begin with is because they spent the last year proving to a federal court that, when given any room for it at all, they simply can not be trusted to charge a fair price, or even be truthful about how they determined what is fair.
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Most devs probably don't want Apple to distribute their software anyway. If they do it themselves then they get to pick a price point. Apple can simply distribute checksums for verified installer packages.
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Most devs probably don't want Apple to distribute their software anyway. If they do it themselves then they get to pick a price point.
Most *say* that, but nearly none *mean* it.
For about 15 years now I have gotten to the point I will only make online payments through a secure and trusted method.
Small dev shops just can't be trusted with my credit card number sitting in plain text on some employees computer.
If a dev isn't going to let me use apple or amazon or even paypal to act as an intermediary then paying them anything is simply not in the cards.
Even when they are directly told this, all too often it is simply ignored and they go about
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Most devs probably don't want Apple to distribute their software anyway. If they do it themselves then they get to pick a price point. Apple can simply distribute checksums for verified installer packages.
WTF are you blathering about?
Devs. Already "pick a price point".
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Devs. Already "pick a price point".
No, Apple picks the price point of their services, and you can either participate or not. Words have meanings, and you don't know them. Maybe you should post as AC next time.
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Devs. Already "pick a price point".
No, Apple picks the price point of their services, and you can either participate or not. Words have meanings, and you don't know them. Maybe you should post as AC next time.
I thought you were talking about Devs. picking the sale price of their App. Of course Apple decides what their Value Added Services are worth, FFS!
Don't like the Terms; go Develop for the other Team!
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Most devs probably don't want Apple to distribute their software anyway. If they do it themselves then they get to pick a price point. Apple can simply distribute checksums for verified installer packages.
I suspect most devs don't want to be bothered by having to track payments, tax laws, local laws, etc. and Apple's 15% is a pretty good deal to get rid of a lot of the administrative burden so they can actually code. For a small developer, payment transaction fees alone could eat up a significant portion of their revenue, before other costs. Strip for example would be 32.9% for a $1 transaction, and nearly 10% for a 5$ one; with their advertised 2.9% plus .30 transaction fee for a no annual or monthly fee
Re: New fees (Score:1)
I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue.
They can't. Really. They fucked around and found out. To quote the judge:
This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,"
Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better rebuke line. Apple totally did this to themselves. You can't blatantly lie repeatedly under oath, ignore a court order, and expect the judge will just let it slide. Apparently this was all Tim Cook's idea as well. He's got some splainin to do in his next board meeting. Namely, explain how he managed to turn what was largely a ruling in Apple's favor into a loss much worse than epic would ha
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"There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order"
lol, not anymore. the only question is whether lil Timmy Apple bent the knee adequately for an intervention.
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I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue.
They can't. Really. They fucked around and found out. To quote the judge:
This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,"
Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better rebuke line. Apple totally did this to themselves. You can't blatantly lie repeatedly under oath, ignore a court order, and expect the judge will just let it slide. Apparently this was all Tim Cook's idea as well. He's got some splainin to do in his next board meeting. Namely, explain how he managed to turn what was largely a ruling in Apple's favor into a loss much worse than epic would have ever even asked for. Namely, epic never asked for free app hosting, but apple has already made a strong case for why they should.
Appeals aside, the injunction does not prohibit other fees for hosting, signing, d/ls, etc., just not interfering with 3rd part payment processing.
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I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue. Expecting Appke to provide free hosting of paid apps is unreasonable and not sustainable long term.
You betcha!
These greedy Devs. will soon find out what happens when you bite the hand that feeds. . .
What's that I hear? (Score:2, Flamebait)
Pretty Risky (Score:4, Insightful)
Before Apple exhausts its Appeals.