A U.S. federal appellate court has ruled that Apple may impose a commission on purchases that users complete outside the App Store, granting the company the option to collect fees on transactions routed through alternative payment methods. The decision, which was reported by industry press, gives Apple legal authority to pursue a fee structure for off‑App‑Store payments while the matter continues to be litigated in lower courts.
The court also held that Apple may require prominent presentation of links to third‑party payment options and is entitled to set design standards for how users are transferred to those services. In practice, that means Apple can dictate elements of the user interface and the visual prominence of the route that leads away from the App Store, for example, when a user is prompted to top up an account through an alternative payment provider. The ruling stipulated that any commission Apple charges must be "reasonable," but left the precise rate and calculation to be determined in subsequent proceedings.
This decision builds on earlier findings from the long‑running legal dispute between Apple and Epic Games. In 2021, courts ordered Apple to permit links and other ways for developers to offer alternative payment options outside the App Store ecosystem. In response, Apple implemented strict rules governing how such links may be presented and announced commission policies that would apply to transactions processed outside its in‑app purchasing system.
In April 2025 a federal judge had directed Apple to abandon the commission and to lift additional restrictions Apple had applied to off‑App‑Store payments; the company was warned of potential criminal consequences if it failed to comply with that order. The recent appellate ruling alters the legal landscape by restoring Apple’s ability to impose a fee and to control how third‑party payment options are displayed, though the conflict is not fully resolved and further hearings will address the size and scope of any permitted commission.
The case is likely to return to lower courts for implementation details and for a final determination of a permissible commission rate. Industry participants, developers and regulators will be watching closely, since the outcome will affect app monetization, consumer payment flows, and the balance of control between platform operators and software distributors.