Mark RadarMARK RADAR
About
中 EN
Sign in
Event File FINTECH Digital Payments Apple

Apple, Epic Clash Over Fees on Outside App Store Purchases

1 reports · First detected 2026-08-14 · Last active 2026-08-14

The dispute dates to August 2020, when Epic Games added its own payment option to Fortnite, prompting Apple to remove the game from the App Store and Epic to sue. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple in 2021 to let developers steer users to outside payment methods. In April 2025, she found Apple in civil contempt for using a 27% commission and other restrictions to blunt that injunction, putting a key revenue model inside Apple’s services business under renewed scrutiny.

After the Supreme Court on Aug. 13, 2026, refused to pause the fee-setting case, Apple proposed charging 15% on linked-out purchases for standard apps, 10% for the Video Partner Program, News Partner Program, Mini Apps Partner Program and subscription renewals, and 5% for Small Business Program apps. Epic said Apple effectively conceded that the Ninth Circuit’s test for genuinely necessary link-out costs would support a 0% rate, arguing the proposal exceeded the court’s guidance. Apple is due to file its Supreme Court brief by Sept. 14.

All Coverage

1 original reports
THEVERGE.COM 2026-08-14
Apple and Epic argue over how much Apple should get from purchases made outside the App Store

The Backstory

The history behind this event
Apple Appeals Epic Games Case to U.S. Supreme Court, Seeking Control Over App Store Payment Commissions2026-04-07 · 1 reports · similarity 0.89

Epic Games sued Apple in August 2020, challenging App Store rules that barred developers from directing users to external payment options. A U.S. federal court ordered Apple in 2021 to allow links to outside payment methods. The case will determine whether Apple can continue controlling iOS transactions and charging commissions of up to 30%.

Apple recently appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a second time, seeking to overturn an April 30, 2025 ruling by a federal district court in California. The ruling found that Apple had violated an injunction, barred it from charging its planned 27% fee on external payments and prohibited restrictions on the design and placement of links. Apple argues that the order improperly expands the court’s authority.

Mark Radar｜MARK RADAR
Past Issues・by MarkReadFintech
All times are in Taipei time (GMT+8)