Apple updates EU terms: unified commissions, alternative payments rules, and a ‘Core Technology Commission’

Original article (source): Apple Newsroom - “Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union” (Aug 18, 2026)

• https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-announces-changes-for-apps-in-the-european-union/

Summary

Apple published an updated set of EU business terms that changes how fees apply across four paths:

• App Store with Apple In-App Purchase: 26% commission (15% for Small Business Program and similar programs, and for renewals after year one).
• App Store with alternative payment processing: 20% commission (10% for eligible programs).
• App Store with link-out to complete purchases: 15% commission (10% for eligible programs).
• Alternative marketplaces or web distribution: a 5% Core Technology Commission.

The fees are the headline, but the operational details matter more for growth teams: alternative payments and link-out flows are now explicitly tied to child safety requirements (including parental gates for under-18 users in certain scenarios, and restrictions for under-13 users).

Why app marketers should care

1. Checkout becomes a product surface If you change payment rails, you change conversion, refunds, fraud exposure, and the shape of your support macros.

2. Age and parental gates are not a footnote A new gate can add friction at the exact moment you try to monetize, and it can also change how you message offers.

3. EU strategy becomes a decision memo, not a debate Teams will move faster if they write down one chosen path (IAP, alternative payment, link-out) and align marketing, product, legal, and support.

Tiny win

Draft a one-page EU plan with five bullets:

• which payment path you will use,
• what your checkout steps look like,
• what tracking you rely on (and where it breaks),
• what support ticket types you expect to spike,
• and what you will tell users when something fails.

If you cannot explain that flow in one page, you are not ready to ship it.

Read the original: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-announces-changes-for-apps-in-the-european-union/