Patreon: Getting the In-App Purchase System Up-to-date in Light of the U.S.-Apple Anomaly
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.”
In the update to the app, Apple has given the go ahead to allow US users to pay for services on a foreign site without restrictions, making them the first major app to do so. The order in the ongoing case against Epic Games compelled Apple to change its rules for external payments. The updated app is now available on the App Store.
Can finally see how much something costs in our app, including pricing details on subscriptions and information about promotions that will save money; Can click a link to purchase the subscription of choice, upgrading from a Free account to one of our Premium plans;Can seamlessly click the link and easily change Premium subscriptions from Individual to a Student, Duo, or Family plan; Can use other payment options beyond just Apple’s payment system—we provide a wider range of options on our website; and Going forward, this opens the door to other seamless buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators (think easy-to-purchase audiobooks)
Apple used to include strict restrictions on how developers could advertise and link to external payment options, forbidding the use of buttons or any mention of cheaper pricing outside the app, as well as a 27 percent charge on external payments. Apple was ordered to stop all fees, design restrictions, and pop-up language by a judge this week.