Apple announced that it will take a commission of 27% for purchases made on dating apps using third-party payment methods in the Netherlands. The company also said the 3% reduction in commissions -- previously 30% -- does not include the value of Apple's collection and remittance of taxes.
In accordance with an order by the Dutch Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM), dating apps that are granted the right to link to or use a third-party in-app payment provider will pay Apple a commission on the transaction.
Apple will also charge a 27% commission on the price paid by users, after deducting value added tax. This is a reduced rate that excludes values associated with payment processing and related activities.
The developer will be responsible for collecting and remitting applicable taxes, such as value added tax (VAT), for sales processed by third party payment providers.
The move is part of Apple's compliance with ACM's demands forcing Apple to allow third-party payment services to pay for in-app purchases in dating apps.
This means Apple is allowing dating app developers to deliver other systems without having to use Apple's payment system. This decision also only applies in the Netherlands and only for dating applications.
Apple also warns that it will not be directly aware of purchases made using alternative methods, and will not be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues that are typically handled as part of the app's own checkout process.
Accordingly, developers using third-party payment options will have to take on this additional responsibility, and will be required to provide Apple with a monthly record of each sale of digital goods and content through the App Store within 15 calendar days of the end of Apple's fiscal month.
Although Apple approved the rules from ACM, Apple is still appealing the ruling. According to Apple, the appeal is for the good of App Store users, they are concerned that the payment method will compromise the user experience and create new threats to the privacy and security of user data.