2 ms·

> If an Australian company writes an app that allows a purchase to be made — and paid for, via the app — it’s more likely than not that Apple or Google will app

> If an Australian company writes an app that allows a purchase to be made — and paid for, via the app — it’s more likely than not that Apple or Google will appear, asking for a big slice of that sale. > … > All of this is fine if you’re buying an album from iTunes, but what if you’re buying a sofa from IKEA? Except Apple (and I have to assume Google) very explicitly says that purchasing real-world goods is not required to go through their IAP and therefore Apple does not take a cut. This is why you can buy things using the Amazon app, or call a car using Lyft. Apple only demands a cut for digital goods.

benjaminjackman 9y ago
One area I've noticed the digital-world restriction is in reading sample chapter(s) in a Kindle book. If you decide to purchase the e-book at after finishing the sample chapter(s) the Kindle App does not offer a one-click `buy this book and keep reading` button. Presumably because of Apple's TOS and restrictions on in-app purchases. Instead the flow is to leave the kindle app, and find the book on Amazon's website in the browser and then purchase it there. Then return to the Kindle app refresh it and then switch to the new book.
- eridius 9y ago
  Yep. That's Amazon's end-run around Apple's IAP requirements.