Apple cuts China App Store commission fees after government pressure

Apple cuts China App Store commission fees after government pressure | Technology

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/13/apple-china-app-store

Publish Date: 2026-03-13 12:39:00

Apple announced late on Thursday it would lower the commission fees collected in its App Store in mainland China. The move follows pressure from regulators in the tech company’s second-largest market, as well as global scrutiny of its payment requirements.

Fees for in-app purchases and paid transactions will be lowered to 25% from 30% starting on Sunday, Apple said in a statement on its blog for developers.

“Apple is making changes to the App Store in China following discussions with the Chinese regulator,” the company’s announcement reads. “As of March 15, 2026, changes will be made to the commission rates that apply to the China mainland storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS.”

The cut is estimated to save Chinese developers more than 6bn yuan ($873m) in operating costs annually, the Chinese state-owned Economic Daily said in a Thursday report that framed the measure as a win for Chinese digital consumers.

“This adjustment will … improve consumption choices and information transparency,” the Economic Daily said. “The premium for digital goods and services on the iOS side will be gradually eliminated, and the prices of membership subscriptions, game recharges, live broadcast tips, mini programs and other scenarios are expected to decrease, which is expected to save consumers up to nearly 1bn yuan per year.”

In-app purchase transactions for developers belonging to Apple’s small business and mini-apps partner programs will be cut to 12% from 15%. “Mini apps” refer to smaller applications that operate within a larger application such as Tencent’s WeChat. The move is a breakthrough for Chinese app developers and operators of “super apps”, including Tencent and TikTok owner ByteDance, whose platforms host many smaller apps created by third-party developers.

The 30% Apple tax remains a main target of antitrust scrutiny by regulators worldwide. The EU introduced new legislation in 2024 that forced Apple to lower commission fees to…

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