Apple Lets EU Developers Link to External Purchases With Lower App Store Fees

Apple today announced a major update to its business terms for developers in the European Union, overhauling how they can link to purchases outside the App Store. The changes introduce a new fee structure and relax the tight restrictions on how developers can promote their own offers, coming in direct response to regulatory pressure and recent court orders.



The most significant change tackles the controversial Core Technology Fee (CTF), a €0.50 per-install fee that could be costly for developers of free apps. Under the new rules, developers can now opt into a StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement (EU) Addendum. This replaces the per-install CTF with a revenue-based 5% Core Technology Commission (CTC), which only applies to sales originating from an in-app link.


In addition to the CTC, developers using external links will pay a 2% "initial acquisition fee" on purchases made within six months of an app's first install and a 13% "store services fee" on sales within 12 months of an install. That store services fee can be lowered to 5% if a developer opts out of certain App Store promotional features. The fees are also reduced for members of the App Store Small Business Program.

The new rules also grant developers more freedom in how they present these external offers. Previously, Apple required developers to use specific templates and generic link-out icons. Now, developers can design their own in-app promotions, use scannable QR codes, and importantly, implement dynamic links that take users directly to a specific product page. This change directly addresses a key point in the recent U.S. court case where Apple was found in contempt of court for creating too much friction in the purchasing process.

To implement these links, developers must still use a new StoreKit API to present a system-provided disclosure sheet informing users they're about to transact outside of Apple's system. However, this replaces the previous full-screen "scare screen" that drew heavy criticism. Users can also now opt out of seeing the disclosure sheet on subsequent purchases.

Apple says it will transition all EU developers to this new, unified business model by January 1, 2026. The move is a clear response to ongoing regulatory action, including a recent €500 million fine for violating the DMA and an order to open up nine key iOS connectivity features.


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