12 ms·

As a iOS user I feel safer that all payments go through apple. I am assured of certain level of privacy and security which is very comforting.

mattnewton 5y ago
Why not just require whether or not it is going through apple to be prominently displayed, and you can only use the apple App Store then, and allow other people to use other payment processors if they trust them?
dcchambers 5y ago
I think the solution is for Apple to require that all payments at least have the option of being made through the app store payment system, while allowing developers that want to take the time and effort to set up outside payments do that as well. Consumers can continue to use app-store payments if they wish (and I bet the vast majority would), but developers and companies can no longer complain about Apple's monopoly over payment processing.
- vanattab 5y ago
  Are you sure they wouldn't considering it would be 15%-20% cheaper?
  - dcchambers 5y ago
    Who is to say the developer would charge less? Let's say, for example, a company called ezpay charges $1 per transaction. If an IAP costs $10, the dev makes $7 off the user who buys via Apple, and $9 off the user that buys via ezpay API in the app. They could lower the ezpay price to $8 and still only make $7, but why bother?
    - Gigachad 5y ago
      Because another company will offer the same product for slightly cheaper now that their fees are lower. Google One already charges you less if you subscribe via web or android. They just haven't been allowed to advertise this fact in the iOS app.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- notsrg 5y ago
  The problem with this is that using Apple Pay would be more expensive and so why would anyone use it?
  - didibus 5y ago
    A bunch of people here just mentioned they love the fact that the payment is handled by Apple for piece of mind. So I guess that would be why?
  - dcchambers 5y ago
    Security and peace-of-mind, as the other commenter requested. Convenience - already having a credit card linked and ready to go. Also who is to say the developer would charge less? Let's say, for example, a company called ezpay charges $1 per transaction. If an IAP costs $10, they make $7 off the user who buys via Apple, and $9 off the user that buys via ezpay API in the app. They could lower the ezpay price to $8 and still only make $7, but why bother?
    - Gigachad 5y ago
      Virtually no one is concerned with the security of card payments on non apple processors. They have been typing their card numbers in to stripe/paypal/etc for years. Only the tiniest % of HN idealists will pay 30% extra to have it go through Apple.
  - AnthonyMouse 5y ago
    If competing payment methods were reasonably available then maybe Apple Pay would lower its fees.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
elliekelly 5y ago
If I can make a purchase or get a subscription through Apple I always do because I know it will be infinitely easier to cancel and I won’t have to deal with any shady billing from sites that store your card info. I don’t understand why Apple can’t require their payment methods but also allow the option for external payment. Apple should position themselves like American Express: maybe a touch more expensive but worth it for the peace of mind and ease of getting assistance.
Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
Are you also feel safer that Apple decides what apps you are allowed to run? For example, in China, iOS users aren't allowed to run Signal or Protonmail apps. Did it occur to you that if a user is not the final authority who decides which apps should run on the device, he is not really owning the device, but merely leasing it, under some strict terms?
- dymk 5y ago
  This isn’t really a concern for me, no
  - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
    "When they came for Communists, I wasn't concerned, because I'm not a Communist."
    - dymk 5y ago
      Take it up with the CCP
- weyland108 5y ago
  It’s not really a concern tbh. Appstore hasn’t been draconian in that sense. It’s a fair argument that they can do that if they wish but there is no incentive to become that. Quite the opposite actually.
  - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
    It is not a concern for you, but only because you lack imagination and foresight.
ls15 5y ago
Nothing would stop you from limiting yourself to apps that only use Apple's ecosystem, but what is the reason to stop others from installing apps that are using other ecosystems on their iOS devices? I would certainly enjoy F-Droid for iOS.
didibus 5y ago
What if the alternatives were PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Steam, etc. ? Would you not similarly trust those payment processors? Also, it should be telling that if you are using an App which only offers: Sketchy Payment Processor, that the app itself is sketchy, so just go use another app.
krferriter 5y ago
Okay but charging fees on in-app purchases as a pretty high percentage of the purchase amount is ridiculous and basically just a moneymaking racket with no real justification, that they do just because they can and they already have a stable base of customers who are unlikely to switch to a competitor (Android is the only competitor). Flat per-transaction fees to cover operating costs is more acceptable. But Apple might make less money in that scheme. On the other hand, more developers might be willing to write apps for iOS if they weren't getting gouged by such high Apple Store fees, so Apple might even come out ahead if they reformed their pricing and payments policy.

mattnewton 5y ago

Why not just require whether or not it is going through apple to be prominently displayed, and you can only use the apple App Store then, and allow other people to use other payment processors if they trust them?

dcchambers 5y ago

I think the solution is for Apple to require that all payments at least have the option of being made through the app store payment system, while allowing developers that want to take the time and effort to set up outside payments do that as well. Consumers can continue to use app-store payments if they wish (and I bet the vast majority would), but developers and companies can no longer complain about Apple's monopoly over payment processing.

vanattab 5y ago
Are you sure they wouldn't considering it would be 15%-20% cheaper?
- dcchambers 5y ago
  Who is to say the developer would charge less? Let's say, for example, a company called ezpay charges $1 per transaction. If an IAP costs $10, the dev makes $7 off the user who buys via Apple, and $9 off the user that buys via ezpay API in the app. They could lower the ezpay price to $8 and still only make $7, but why bother?
  - Gigachad 5y ago
    Because another company will offer the same product for slightly cheaper now that their fees are lower. Google One already charges you less if you subscribe via web or android. They just haven't been allowed to advertise this fact in the iOS app.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
notsrg 5y ago
The problem with this is that using Apple Pay would be more expensive and so why would anyone use it?
- didibus 5y ago
  A bunch of people here just mentioned they love the fact that the payment is handled by Apple for piece of mind. So I guess that would be why?
- dcchambers 5y ago
  Security and peace-of-mind, as the other commenter requested. Convenience - already having a credit card linked and ready to go. Also who is to say the developer would charge less? Let's say, for example, a company called ezpay charges $1 per transaction. If an IAP costs $10, they make $7 off the user who buys via Apple, and $9 off the user that buys via ezpay API in the app. They could lower the ezpay price to $8 and still only make $7, but why bother?
  - Gigachad 5y ago
    Virtually no one is concerned with the security of card payments on non apple processors. They have been typing their card numbers in to stripe/paypal/etc for years. Only the tiniest % of HN idealists will pay 30% extra to have it go through Apple.
- AnthonyMouse 5y ago
  If competing payment methods were reasonably available then maybe Apple Pay would lower its fees.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

elliekelly 5y ago

If I can make a purchase or get a subscription through Apple I always do because I know it will be infinitely easier to cancel and I won’t have to deal with any shady billing from sites that store your card info. I don’t understand why Apple can’t require their payment methods but also allow the option for external payment. Apple should position themselves like American Express: maybe a touch more expensive but worth it for the peace of mind and ease of getting assistance.

Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago

Are you also feel safer that Apple decides what apps you are allowed to run? For example, in China, iOS users aren't allowed to run Signal or Protonmail apps. Did it occur to you that if a user is not the final authority who decides which apps should run on the device, he is not really owning the device, but merely leasing it, under some strict terms?

dymk 5y ago
This isn’t really a concern for me, no
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
  "When they came for Communists, I wasn't concerned, because I'm not a Communist."
  - dymk 5y ago
    Take it up with the CCP
weyland108 5y ago
It’s not really a concern tbh. Appstore hasn’t been draconian in that sense. It’s a fair argument that they can do that if they wish but there is no incentive to become that. Quite the opposite actually.
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
  It is not a concern for you, but only because you lack imagination and foresight.

ls15 5y ago

Nothing would stop you from limiting yourself to apps that only use Apple's ecosystem, but what is the reason to stop others from installing apps that are using other ecosystems on their iOS devices? I would certainly enjoy F-Droid for iOS.

didibus 5y ago

What if the alternatives were PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Steam, etc. ? Would you not similarly trust those payment processors? Also, it should be telling that if you are using an App which only offers: Sketchy Payment Processor, that the app itself is sketchy, so just go use another app.

krferriter 5y ago

Okay but charging fees on in-app purchases as a pretty high percentage of the purchase amount is ridiculous and basically just a moneymaking racket with no real justification, that they do just because they can and they already have a stable base of customers who are unlikely to switch to a competitor (Android is the only competitor). Flat per-transaction fees to cover operating costs is more acceptable. But Apple might make less money in that scheme. On the other hand, more developers might be willing to write apps for iOS if they weren't getting gouged by such high Apple Store fees, so Apple might even come out ahead if they reformed their pricing and payments policy.