Apps cannot include buttons, links, or messages that tell customers they can buy the same thing cheaper somewhere else — all digital purchase prompts must go through Apple's own payment system.
This analysis describes what Apple's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause establishes a standardized purchasing pathway requirement across the App Store ecosystem, directing all transactions through Apple's in-app purchase system. The prohibition on external purchase links and misleading pricing creates operational uniformity in how financial transactions and product information are presented to users.
The updated guidelines state that developers must ensure kids receive age-appropriate experiences within their apps and must remove user-generated content that violates the guidelines, terms of service, or community standards. Under the revised policy, if Apple identifies policy-violating content, the developer will be asked to remove it and provide a compliance improvement plan. Based on the developer's response, the app may be removed from the App Store until compliance is demonstrated. This establishes a formal escalation pathway where developer inaction or inadequate remediation can result in app suspension or removal.
View change record →Removal of this as a standalone high-severity provision (content merged into broader IAP requirement) reduces explicit emphasis on anti-steering and pricing transparency enforcement.
View full change record →Consumers cannot be told within an iOS app that they could pay less for a subscription or digital content by purchasing directly from the developer's website, potentially costing them more money than necessary.
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"Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase. Developers may not include misleading or inaccurate pricing information in their apps or metadata.— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision is the subject of a permanent injunction in Epic Games v. Apple (N.D. Cal., Case No. 4:20-cv-05640-YGR) which held that Apple's anti-steering provisions violated California's Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code §17200) and required Apple to allow developers to include external purchase links. The injunction is subject to ongoing compliance/contempt proceedings. The provision also engages EU DMA Art. 5(7) which prohibits anti-steering in the EU, enforceable by the European Commission.
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This clause establishes a standardized purchasing pathway requirement across the App Store ecosystem, directing all transactions through Apple's in-app purchase system. The prohibition on external purchase links and misleading pricing creates operational uniformity in how financial transactions and product information are presented to users.
Consumers cannot be told within an iOS app that they could pay less for a subscription or digital content by purchasing directly from the developer's website, potentially costing them more money than necessary.
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