Patreon Will Update Its iPhone App To Sidestep Apple's Payment System (theverge.com)
(Thursday May 01, 2025 @11:30PM (BeauHD)
from the big-win-for-creators dept.)
- Reference: 0177243921
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/2030224/patreon-will-update-its-iphone-app-to-sidestep-apples-payment-system
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/news/659754/patreon-update-iphone-ios-app-apple-payment-system-ruling
Following a [1]major court ruling limiting Apple's control over App Store payments, Patreon plans to update its iOS app to [2]allow payments outside Apple's system , letting creators keep more of their earnings. Spotify and Proton are also preparing similar updates. The Verge reports:
> "This is a huge moment for creators and their businesses," [spokesperson Adiya Taylor] says. "The iOS app is the number one platform for fan engagement on Patreon, and we believe this ruling allows creators to get paid without giving Apple 30 percent. As a first step, we will submit an app update for review by Apple to enable payments outside of IAP so creators keep more from iOS based fan payments."
>
> 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." Taylor wasn't able to share a timeline for when the update might be rolled out.
Further reading: [3]Epic Games Is Launching Webshops To Circumvent App Store Fees
[1] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/055227/apple-must-halt-non-app-store-sales-commissions-judge-says
[2] https://www.theverge.com/news/659754/patreon-update-iphone-ios-app-apple-payment-system-ruling
[3] https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/2014239/epic-games-is-launching-webshops-to-circumvent-app-store-fees
> "This is a huge moment for creators and their businesses," [spokesperson Adiya Taylor] says. "The iOS app is the number one platform for fan engagement on Patreon, and we believe this ruling allows creators to get paid without giving Apple 30 percent. As a first step, we will submit an app update for review by Apple to enable payments outside of IAP so creators keep more from iOS based fan payments."
>
> 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." Taylor wasn't able to share a timeline for when the update might be rolled out.
Further reading: [3]Epic Games Is Launching Webshops To Circumvent App Store Fees
[1] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/055227/apple-must-halt-non-app-store-sales-commissions-judge-says
[2] https://www.theverge.com/news/659754/patreon-update-iphone-ios-app-apple-payment-system-ruling
[3] https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/2014239/epic-games-is-launching-webshops-to-circumvent-app-store-fees
What's that I hear? (Score:2)
by Big Hairy Gorilla ( 9839972 )
Champagne corks popping !
New fees (Score:2)
I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue. Expecting Appke to provide free hosting of paid apps is unreasonable and not sustainable long term.
Re: (Score:2)
No one is forcing Apple to host all apps listed in the app store. The market fee is also completely out of proportion for most apps, just look at the amount of profit Apple makes from the App Store. Just to avoid any confusion: Google isn't any better.
Re: (Score:2)
ok then I'm going to ask to court for the right to host my own app install files and for apple to allow side loading.
Re: (Score:2)
Those are good reasons to allow third party stores....
Re: (Score:2)
> I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue. Expecting Appke to provide free hosting of paid apps is unreasonable and not sustainable long term.
Charging for downloading and hosting is completely reasonable. Having your fingers in the pocket of everything every user does with every app forever after they have downloaded it is not.
Re: (Score:2)
Most devs probably don't want Apple to distribute their software anyway. If they do it themselves then they get to pick a price point. Apple can simply distribute checksums for verified installer packages.
Re: New fees (Score:1)
> I suspect Apple will be changing its fee structure to add d/l, hosting, etc. fees to recover lost revenue.
They can't. Really. They fucked around and found out. To quote the judge:
> This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,"
Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better rebuke line. Apple totally did this to themselves. You can't blatantly lie repeatedly under oath, ignore a court order, and expect the judge will just let it slide. Apparently this was all Tim Cook's idea as well. He's got some splainin to do in his next board meeting. Namely, explain how he managed to turn what was largely a ruling in Apple's favor into a loss much worse than epic would ha