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> And it’s not like these rule give me more security, provide for the stability of the platform, or help me in any indirect ways. In the case of Amazon, probab

> And it’s not like these rule give me more security, provide for the stability of the platform, or help me in any indirect ways. In the case of Amazon, probably not. In the case of nearly all other apps, they definitely do. Having every fly-by-night game accepting credit cards to buy more tokens or whatever would be a usability and security nightmare. Even respectable apps I don’t want to give my credit card info to: I let Apple sit in the middle, handle security, and provide me a place to cancel with one tap. I understand why companies, especially big and responsible ones like Amazon or Basecamp, don’t want to use IAP. But a free-for-all would be terrible for iOS users.

empath75 6y ago
As a user I much prefer in app purchases and Apple Pay, but the fees they charge are clearly extortionate.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
yawboakye 6y ago
My feelings exactly. I want a no-questions-asked unsubscribe option. IAP is guaranteed to provide that, not the individual apps I download. So even though the 30% share of revenue might look huge, being an independent trusted arbiter probably makes it worth it?
Forge36 6y ago
Why not keep IAP as an option vs credit cards? Let apps offer a credit card discounts. If it provides additional benefits to you: it sounds like you're willing to pay a ~30% more. Apple is passing credit cards cost on to app store vendors consumers for an additional upcharge. How much is it? Comparing the percentage cut on a credit card: If I can earn 5% (3% on food and gas?), I'd assume the store is pricing some of that cost into it's products. Apple's model of easy cancel, harder to steal should be something other companies could MITM. Paypal, Amazon, square, and Google offer similar payment schemes. (Venmo to my knowledge can't be used to pay businesses). I get the feeling Apple is expanding into this area with their own credit card. If the choice is a 30% fee or free and no credit card option, this feels like an abuse of power.
- jdminhbg 6y ago
  > Why not keep IAP as an option vs credit cards? Let apps offer a credit card discounts. If it provides additional benefits to you: it sounds like you're willing to pay a ~30% more. This is already the case though, right? Apple's response to Hey specifically suggested that they could offer an IAP option in the app at a markup over their web-based subscription.
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    You cannot offer both in-app. You cannot even mention that you offer both and that the credit-card signup is on your website. If you go with Apple's in-app purchases, you must not mention any alternative methods of payment.
hrktb 6y ago
I agree with you, my preferred solution would actually be that Apple acts as a PSP and lets Amazon and other companies use IAP without the 30% cut (let’s say it stays at 3 or 4% for instance) My angle was just that taking 30% instead of 3% doesn’t do anything for me as a customer.
SllX 6y ago
Apple actually built a way out, but they haven't advertised it, publicized it, nor marketed it under these terms. They probably don't even want people thinking about it. I have not just one, but three active podcast subscriptions that I initiated through Apple Pay just this past year including one to Siracusa's podcast, and I did so through Safari. There's your IAP alternative for payment processing right there that doesn't rely on giving Apple a 15-30% cut, nor giving your credit card details to every fly-by-night crapware peddler. EDIT: Also I just remembered, I believe this is also how I initiated a yearly subscription for a newsletter/podcast vendor hosted on Substack. For that matter, you can pre-order a Tesla Cybertruck using Apple Pay, I haven't, but it was an option on the order page.

empath75 6y ago

As a user I much prefer in app purchases and Apple Pay, but the fees they charge are clearly extortionate.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

yawboakye 6y ago

My feelings exactly. I want a no-questions-asked unsubscribe option. IAP is guaranteed to provide that, not the individual apps I download. So even though the 30% share of revenue might look huge, being an independent trusted arbiter probably makes it worth it?

Forge36 6y ago

Why not keep IAP as an option vs credit cards? Let apps offer a credit card discounts. If it provides additional benefits to you: it sounds like you're willing to pay a ~30% more. Apple is passing credit cards cost on to app store vendors consumers for an additional upcharge. How much is it? Comparing the percentage cut on a credit card: If I can earn 5% (3% on food and gas?), I'd assume the store is pricing some of that cost into it's products. Apple's model of easy cancel, harder to steal should be something other companies could MITM. Paypal, Amazon, square, and Google offer similar payment schemes. (Venmo to my knowledge can't be used to pay businesses). I get the feeling Apple is expanding into this area with their own credit card. If the choice is a 30% fee or free and no credit card option, this feels like an abuse of power.

jdminhbg 6y ago
> Why not keep IAP as an option vs credit cards? Let apps offer a credit card discounts. If it provides additional benefits to you: it sounds like you're willing to pay a ~30% more. This is already the case though, right? Apple's response to Hey specifically suggested that they could offer an IAP option in the app at a markup over their web-based subscription.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  You cannot offer both in-app. You cannot even mention that you offer both and that the credit-card signup is on your website. If you go with Apple's in-app purchases, you must not mention any alternative methods of payment.

hrktb 6y ago

I agree with you, my preferred solution would actually be that Apple acts as a PSP and lets Amazon and other companies use IAP without the 30% cut (let’s say it stays at 3 or 4% for instance) My angle was just that taking 30% instead of 3% doesn’t do anything for me as a customer.

SllX 6y ago

Apple actually built a way out, but they haven't advertised it, publicized it, nor marketed it under these terms. They probably don't even want people thinking about it. I have not just one, but three active podcast subscriptions that I initiated through Apple Pay just this past year including one to Siracusa's podcast, and I did so through Safari. There's your IAP alternative for payment processing right there that doesn't rely on giving Apple a 15-30% cut, nor giving your credit card details to every fly-by-night crapware peddler. EDIT: Also I just remembered, I believe this is also how I initiated a yearly subscription for a newsletter/podcast vendor hosted on Substack. For that matter, you can pre-order a Tesla Cybertruck using Apple Pay, I haven't, but it was an option on the order page.