Apple Tells Patreon To Move Creators To In-App Purchase For Subscriptions (techcrunch.com)
- Reference: 0180680640
- News link: https://apple.slashdot.org/story/26/01/28/222215/apple-tells-patreon-to-move-creators-to-in-app-purchase-for-subscriptions
- Source link: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/28/apple-tells-patreon-to-move-creators-to-in-app-purchase-for-subscriptions-by-november/
> "We strongly disagree with this decision," its blog post states. "Creators need consistency and clarity in order to build healthy, long-term businesses. Instead, creators using legacy billing will now have to endure the whiplash of another policy reversal -- the third such change from Apple in the past 18 months. Over the years, we have proposed multiple tools and features to Apple that we could've built to allow creators using legacy billing to transition on their own timelines, with more support added in. Unfortunately, Apple has continually declined them," it says.
>
> Creators can read more about the transition plan on [3]Patreon's website . It has also built several tools to support these changes, including a [4]benefit eligibility tool to see who has paid or is scheduled to pay, [5]tier repricing tools , and gifting and [6]discount tools to offer payment flexibility. An option for annual-only memberships will be introduced before November 2026 as well.
The commission on in-app purchases and subscriptions is 30% on Apple's system, but "drops to 15% for a subscription that has been ongoing for more than a year," notes [7]MacRumors . Patreon lets creators either raise prices only in its iOS app to cover Apple's fee or keep prices the same by absorbing the cost, while iPhone and iPad users can avoid the App Store commission entirely by paying through Patreon's website instead.
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/28/apple-tells-patreon-to-move-creators-to-in-app-purchase-for-subscriptions-by-november/
[2] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/24/08/12/169246/apple-threatens-to-remove-patreon-from-app-store-over-billing-dispute
[3] https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/28801582599181-iOS-In-app-Purchases-and-Migrating-to-Subscription-Billing-FAQ
[4] https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/35894742951565-Track-your-members-benefit-eligibility-status
[5] https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027992451-Best-practices-for-increasing-your-tier-prices
[6] https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/31517382056717-Discounts-FAQ
[7] https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/28/patreon-apple-tax/
Re: (Score:3)
> Patreon commisions: 10% (*); Apple commissions: extra 30%.
> (*) Legacy creators will be paying 8-12% depending on their plan, new creators since mid-2025 are on 10%. There are currency conversion fees on top of this if creators and patrons are operating in different currencies.
Yeah, there's no way this doesn't end with Patreon dropping their app.
Re: iOS? Just say no! (Score:2)
Apple calculated that Patreon wouldn't do this before they started making threats. What's interesting is why Apple's doing this now.. clearly they don't expect significant growth this year, so they're looking for people they can squeeze to juice the fall numbers. That says a lot about what their projections are for the fall iPhone lineup and the rumored foldable phone. They probably still feel the sting of projecting the Vision Pro would be a hit and then it failing in the market.
WTF? (Score:4, Insightful)
Why does Patreon need an app? They have a web site.
I'd tell Apple to take a long walk off a short pier.
Re: (Score:2)
Patreon wants to satisfy their customers (content creators) by offering ways to donate that are as easy as possible for their user demographic. Patreon is afraid the customers might decide to move the business to another platform if they feel or even only imagine, that their revenue will be affected if the users (donors) don't have access to an app.
Re: (Score:3)
Why does anything need an app?
Re: (Score:3)
Generally, to track you to a greater extent than possible through a locked-down browser, and to otherwise extract money from you. Particularly, in this case, it's so additional parties (Apple) can get in on the extraction action.
Apple made the decision because Trump (Score:1)
This is a major antitrust issue. Biden's administration was heavily enforcing antitrust law. You didn't notice it because the cases they had going on were so large they were multi-year and would have carried into Kamala Harris's administration.
Love him or hate him Donald Trump is not going to enforce antitrust law. Although he does usually get a kickback whenever there's a merger going on...
Re: (Score:1)
> This is a major antitrust issue. Biden's administration was heavily enforcing antitrust law. You didn't notice it because the cases they had going on were so large they were multi-year and would have carried into Kamala Harris's administration. Love him or hate him Donald Trump is not going to enforce antitrust law. Although he does usually get a kickback whenever there's a merger going on...
Also don't forget Tim Cook personally delivered a signed "golden trophy" to Trump, at the whitehouse no less.
Just another nail in the coffin for Apple having t (Score:2)
This just seems like Apple is looking for ways to look arbitrary and capricious with their App Store rules enforcement. They have all kinds of rules around porn and CSAM but the ai platforms do whatever they want. Maybe the load of adjudication just isnâ(TM)t worth it to Apple anymore and they want the feds to step in as governments in other countries have.
Complete BS (Score:2)
I can see apple getting a percent of sales for a sale of the app itself. But for things purchased within the app? I'm shocked they haven't gone after Amazon to get a percent of each purchase that people make in the Amazon app on iphone.
Re: (Score:2)
> I'm shocked they haven't gone after Amazon to get a percent of each purchase that people make in the Amazon app on iphone.
Or eBay for that matter.
Amazon did avoid Apple's ransom coercion for ebooks on Amazon's Kindle app.... by not providing any way to purchase books in it.
MMph! Bad for customers. (Score:2)
I'd been considering for a year or so whether I should get an Apple computer to supplement my Linux system. (Well, really to generate programs that could run on an IPad.)
This is so unpleasant that I'm even thinking MS might be a better choice...and I haven't dealt with MS since the turn of the century.
OTOH, what it's really going to turn on is which company comes up with a good voice controlled computers that can read novels to me with reasonable pacing and emphasis. But Apple seems to be lagging behind
Individuals are in control (Score:2)
Apple's 30% should be considered and prosecuted as a usary practice.
That said, no is forced to pay it, as no one is being forced to use an Apple device. Those that choose to be part of the problem and pay Apple's taxes should have that option.
Just (Score:2)
Stop developing or updating your apps on iOS. Stop continuing to allow Apple to sit there and triple dip on one source, while providing literally nothing in return.
"Oh but my revenue will suffer." Yeah, find a new path. Sticking with Apple isn't worth it. Have some god damned backbone.
Patreon has an app? (Score:4, Insightful)
I think I'm fine using the website. Seems like it would waste less resources on my phone.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
My policy for everything is, "i don't do apps". So far the only negative consequence of this is the mediocre chain barbershops nearest my house won't let me check in over the phone. The only app I have installed on my phone that didn't come by default is WhatsApp.
Re: (Score:2)
The biggest consequence for me was not being able to get the full menu and/or reasonable prices at McDonald's. My response was to stop going to McDonald's.
Off-topic but have you been to any new location they've constructed in the last few years? The layout could be described as "hostile architecture". The places are designed to literally hide the staff behind a wall and a corner. You have to essentially walk into the kitchen to find someone. Which you will have to do when the ordering kiosks are broke. And