Apple cuts App Store commissions in mainland China: 25% standard, 12% for small business and year-2 subscriptions

Original announcement (source): Apple Developer News - “Adjustments to the China storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS” (March 12, 2026)

• https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=dadukodv

What Apple changed (effective March 15, 2026)

Apple says it is changing commission rates for the China mainland storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS, following discussions with the Chinese regulator.

New rates

• Standard paid apps + In-App Purchase transactions: 25% (down from 30%)

• Qualifying transactions under:

  • the App Store Small Business Program
  • the Mini Apps Partner Program
  • and auto-renewing subscription renewals after the first year

  …will be 12% (down from 15%)

Admin detail worth noting

Apple explicitly says:

• You don’t need to sign updated terms by March 15 to receive the lower commission starting that date.
• The Apple Developer Program License Agreement has been revised, and translations should land within a month.

Why this matters for app teams (beyond “good news”)

1. China pricing and margin math just changed. If you operate a paid app, IAP, or subscriptions in mainland China, your net revenue per transaction shifts overnight. That can (and should) affect how aggressive you are with promos, UA payback windows, and LTV assumptions.

2. Commission differences are becoming market-specific policy. It’s another reminder that “global App Store economics” is increasingly a storefront-by-storefront story, and you need to track it like you track tax and payments.

3. Ops and marketing need the same numbers. If your org has China-specific pricing, bundles, or acquisition targets, make sure finance, paid media, and lifecycle are looking at the same post-fee baseline, otherwise your dashboards will argue all week.

Tiny win

Open your revenue model and add one explicit variable: “China App Store commission rate”. Then rerun (a) payback targets and (b) your next promo calendar with the new 25% / 12% assumptions, so your spend rules match reality.

Read the official announcement: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=dadukodv