Apple overturns the full ban on charging a commission for purchases that originate from links outside the app in iOS—yet the path to recharging such commissions hinges on agreeing to a fair rate. In the Epic Games Inc v. Apple Inc case, a court found Apple violated anti-steering laws by applying a 27% cut to web-based purchases started from iOS apps, which led to a prohibition on any commission on linked-out purchases.
The latest ruling, however, rejects the notion of an outright ban as the final answer. While commissions won’t be prohibited in perpetuity, the court emphasizes that they shouldn’t be prohibitive or engineered to discourage users from engaging with external links. Apple’s 27% rate, the decision notes, appears intentionally designed to steer users away from external options.
Importantly, today’s ruling does not permit Apple to resume charging a commission on linked-out purchases just yet. Instead, the court encourages Apple and Epic Games to negotiate a mutually acceptable rate, or for the court to set a fair policy if they cannot reach an agreement.
Another update from the April decision is that Apple may require buttons, links, and calls to action to be no larger or more prominent than Apple’s own in-app purchase options. Epic, for its part, already presents its in-app purchase alternatives in a style consistent with Apple’s IAP branding.
The April court decision previously opened the door for Epic Games to offer Fortnite in the U.S. App Store on iPhone and iPad. In 2025, Fortnite ranked among the year’s most downloaded apps, according to Apple.
You can read the full court decision here:
https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/lgvdqxweopo/Epic%20v%20Apple%20-%209th%20Circuit%20order%20-%2020251211.pdf
If you’re following coverage, consider adding 9to5Mac to your Google News feed:
https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBggKMLOFATDAGg?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
FTC note: We include income-related affiliate links. More information here:
https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate
