The move follows a court decision that forced Apple to allow such alternatives, and it comes after a federal judge ruled that Apple’s ongoing limitations on in-app links to outside payment methods violated the court’s previous injunction. The case, stemming from the long-running legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, resulted in a clear directive for Apple to allow external payment links within apps.
A representative from Stripe announced via social media that the company had compiled a quick start guide for developers seeking to use Stripe’s checkout services outside of the App Store’s integrated system. The documentation details how to embed a payment link in an iOS app, redirecting users to a Stripe-hosted page to complete purchases.
While Apple has technically opened the door to external payments, its revised policy has only marginally reduced the commission rate, dropping it by 3%, and now includes on-screen warnings intended to caution users when leaving the App Store environment. These ‘scare screens’ were criticised in court, where officials said Apple’s implementation fell short of both the letter and the intent of the earlier ruling.
Stripe’s solution allows developers to circumvent Apple’s standard 30% commission by using its own payment infrastructure, which charges 2.9% plus USD 0.30 per transaction. However, adopting this route requires additional work from developers, including setting up and managing their own checkout experiences.
A vocal critic of Apple’s in-app purchase policies, a co-owner of 37Signals, commented that the change opens up new opportunities for app-based businesses. He argued that many digital products and services were previously not feasable under Apple’s pricing model. According to TechCrunch, Stripe’s documentation has already attracted significant attention from developers, some of whom view the guidance as a way to maintain more control over their revenues and user experience.
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