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Apple to Allow Media Apps to Link to Own Websites for Payment Options

87 points by vthallam 5y ago

smartbit 5y ago
https://archive.is/91Ay6 https://archive.is/91Ay6
swagonomixxx 5y ago
Article is paywalled. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. I for one like the fact that I can easily manage my subscriptions from inside the settings app. I cancel a subscription, and I'm guaranteed not to get double charged again. It's as easy as pie. With every Tom Dick and Harry app linking to their own subscription and payment system, this already becomes incredibly more complex for the consumer (in this case, me). I have already been avoiding using apps that require me to sign up manually (i.e without the "Log in with Apple" option) because it's simply inconvenient and I know one day or another each of these websites will be compromised, my e-mail leaked, as well as other payment processing info. This just fragments the ecosystem even more and I'm quite happy to avoid such applications and stick to those that use Apple for payment processing and subscription management (if these are only the Apple related apps, e.g music, TV, etc., so be it).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- DisjointedHunt 5y ago
  How do you use browsers today ?
- dgellow 5y ago
  Apple payment option won’t disappear. You will still be able to pay extra for that specific provider. But now, by offering other service providers, we can finally let users pick what they prefer, and the Apple payment 30% fees should become obvious. Currently Netflix is 30% more expensive on iPad because of Apple subscription fees and the company is not allowed to communicate that info to users, or link to other payment options. Hopefully competition should bring some transparency as users can now arbitrage. Everybody but Apple should benefit from this.
robertoandred 5y ago
So now we’ll be locked into using those companies’ payment systems, from which they make it next to impossible to unsubscribe?
- clarge1120 5y ago
  Users have a choice whether to use Apple payment for all purchases on the platform.
- frumper 5y ago
  It sounds like if these companies don’t offer an Apple subscription then plenty of people say they won’t use it and a competitor will have room to fill that gap.
- efraim 5y ago
  Not at all, use a different company if you like.
- onelovetwo 5y ago
  I think you're misinformed, you currently cant use Apple payment in spotify. Apple currently taks 100% of profits from Apple Music and takes 30% of their direct competitors, essentially 130% profit. Margins are already very low for a lot of these apps, so its impossible to even compete using Apples payment.
- spoonjim 5y ago
  For a big company like Spotify I’d be happy to pay by card but for an unknown company I would not subscribe without Apple.
- anaganisk 5y ago
  I don’t understand this mindset, “I want to subscribe to services of a shady company, so I will let apple to take 30% of my payments from all the developers. To manage it for me”. You know what thinking of it, I think instead apple must start adding 30% markup to the consumers explicitly instead of developers and make apple payment option requirement. That way developers don’t have to pay for the convenience, and the consumers can decide if they want thing cheaper or convenient.
dang 5y ago
Ongoing related thread: Japan forces Apple to slightly loosen restrictions on ‘reader’ apps - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28387094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28387094

87 points by vthallam 5y ago

https://archive.is/91Ay6 https://archive.is/91Ay6

Article is paywalled. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. I for one like the fact that I can easily manage my subscriptions from inside the settings app. I cancel a subscription, and I'm guaranteed not to get double charged again. It's as easy as pie. With every Tom Dick and Harry app linking to their own subscription and payment system, this already becomes incredibly more complex for the consumer (in this case, me). I have already been avoiding using apps that require me to sign up manually (i.e without the "Log in with Apple" option) because it's simply inconvenient and I know one day or another each of these websites will be compromised, my e-mail leaked, as well as other payment processing info. This just fragments the ecosystem even more and I'm quite happy to avoid such applications and stick to those that use Apple for payment processing and subscription management (if these are only the Apple related apps, e.g music, TV, etc., so be it).

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
DisjointedHunt 5y ago
How do you use browsers today ?
dgellow 5y ago
Apple payment option won’t disappear. You will still be able to pay extra for that specific provider. But now, by offering other service providers, we can finally let users pick what they prefer, and the Apple payment 30% fees should become obvious. Currently Netflix is 30% more expensive on iPad because of Apple subscription fees and the company is not allowed to communicate that info to users, or link to other payment options. Hopefully competition should bring some transparency as users can now arbitrage. Everybody but Apple should benefit from this.

robertoandred 5y ago

So now we’ll be locked into using those companies’ payment systems, from which they make it next to impossible to unsubscribe?

clarge1120 5y ago
Users have a choice whether to use Apple payment for all purchases on the platform.
frumper 5y ago
It sounds like if these companies don’t offer an Apple subscription then plenty of people say they won’t use it and a competitor will have room to fill that gap.
efraim 5y ago
Not at all, use a different company if you like.
onelovetwo 5y ago
I think you're misinformed, you currently cant use Apple payment in spotify. Apple currently taks 100% of profits from Apple Music and takes 30% of their direct competitors, essentially 130% profit. Margins are already very low for a lot of these apps, so its impossible to even compete using Apples payment.
spoonjim 5y ago
For a big company like Spotify I’d be happy to pay by card but for an unknown company I would not subscribe without Apple.
anaganisk 5y ago
I don’t understand this mindset, “I want to subscribe to services of a shady company, so I will let apple to take 30% of my payments from all the developers. To manage it for me”. You know what thinking of it, I think instead apple must start adding 30% markup to the consumers explicitly instead of developers and make apple payment option requirement. That way developers don’t have to pay for the convenience, and the consumers can decide if they want thing cheaper or convenient.

dang 5y ago

Ongoing related thread: Japan forces Apple to slightly loosen restrictions on ‘reader’ apps - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28387094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28387094