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           Apple Reduces Chinese App Store Fees Without the EU Drama

   Adam Engst

   Well, that was unexpected. Apple has just announced that it is
   [1]dropping its App Store commission rates in China, effective 15 March
   2026, following discussions with the Chinese regulator. Instead of the
   standard 30% charged for paid app transactions and in-app purchases,
   Chinese developers will now pay 25%. For transactions under the [2]App
   Store Small Business Program and [3]Mini Apps Partner Program, and for
   auto-renewals of in-app purchase subscriptions after the first year,
   the rate drops from 15% to 12%. The announcement doesn't say anything
   about developers being allowed to sell apps outside the App Store or
   direct users to pay via an independent payment process or external
   website.

   This bloodless announcement stands in stark contrast to Apple's
   [4]petulant [5]responses to the EU's Digital Markets Act, where it is
   complying, but in the most grudging, defensive way it can get away
   with. As far as I can tell, Apple's [6]Alternative EU Terms are so
   byzantine'and not necessarily better for developers'that most appear to
   be staying on the standard 30% or 15% terms.

   The only other countries where Apple has revised its standard rates are
   South Korea and Japan. In[7]South Korea, amendments to the
   Telecommunications Business Act compelled Apple to allow third-party
   payment providers, but it still charges a 26% fee. In[8]Japan, as a
   response to the Mobile Software Competition Act, Apple agreed to a
   standard rate of 21% and a discounted rate of 10% for smaller
   developers and subsequent-year subscription renewals. But Apple also
   charges a 5% fee for processing payments through its In-App Purchase
   system, a 15% commission on transactions via linked websites, and a 5%
   Core Technology Commission for apps distributed outside the App Store.

   Although some have suggested that Apple made this deal purely because
   of the importance of the Chinese market, that feels like an
   oversimplification. Europe generates a significantly larger share of
   Apple's revenue than China does. For instance, in Q1 2026, Europe
   accounted for 27% of Apple's quarterly revenue, while China contributed
   only 18%, an improvement from previous quarters. (For comparison, Japan
   is usually 6% or 7%, and the Rest of Asia Pacific, which includes South
   Korea, is 8%.)

   The reverse may be true'that Apple is fighting so hard in the EU
   because Europe is a more important market. But I'd bet instead the
   geopolitical situation is completely different in China, where the
   government can act unilaterally and could prevent Apple from doing
   business there. (I was dying to quote 'discussions' above.) Apple isn't
   just protecting sales of Apple devices in China; it's protecting its
   manufacturing relationships with Chinese suppliers. In the EU, Apple
   can file lawsuits, attempt to create divisions among EU member nations,
   and appeal to the court of public opinion. Those tactics seem unlikely
   to work in China.

   I'm sure we'll never know the truth, but I have to wonder if a gold
   plaque was involved.

References

   Visible links
   1. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=dadukodv
   2. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/
   3. https://developer.apple.com/programs/mini-apps-partner/
   4. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/01/apple-announces-changes-to-ios-safari-and-the-app-store-in-the-european-union/
   5. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/the-digital-markets-acts-impacts-on-eu-users/
   6. https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/download/external/Alternative-EU-Terms-Addendum.pdf
   7. https://developer.apple.com/support/storekit-external-entitlement-kr/
   8. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/12/apple-announces-changes-to-ios-in-japan/

   Hidden links:
   9. https://tidbits.com/uploads/2026/01/2026-Q1-Regional.png

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