Developers must use Apple's own payment system for selling digital content or features within their app, and cannot direct users to buy elsewhere or use alternative payment methods.
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 requirement establishes Apple's in-app purchase system as the exclusive transaction mechanism for App Store apps, which consolidates payment processing and revenue collection through a single platform-controlled channel.
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 →Consumers pay for digital goods exclusively through Apple's payment system, which may be priced higher than alternatives, and apps are prohibited from informing users about lower prices available outside the App Store.
How other platforms handle this
You are solely responsible for determining what, if any, taxes apply to the payments you receive through the Services, and it is your responsibility to collect, report, and remit the correct tax to the appropriate tax authority. Teachable is not responsible for determining whether taxes apply to you...
Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each subscription period unless you cancel your subscription before the renewal date. You authorize Skillshare to charge your payment method on a recurring basis for the subscription fee.
eBay charges sellers for using many of our Services. In some cases, eBay may charge buyers for using certain of our Services. We may change our fees at any time by posting the changes on our Seller Center and, if applicable, informing you via email or through My eBay. eBay may, in its discretion, ch...
Monitoring
Apple has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.
"Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, etc. 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.— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly implicates antitrust law under Sherman Act §1 and §2 (DOJ/FTC enforcement), EU DMA Art. 5(7) which prohibits Apple from requiring developers to use Apple's IAP as the sole payment option in the EU, and is subject to the US District Court injunction in Epic Games v. Apple (N.D. Cal. 2021, affirmed in part 9th Cir. 2023) requiring Apple to allow external purchase links in certain contexts. The FTC Act Section 5 (unfair or deceptive acts) is also implicated by anti-steering conduct.
Full compliance analysis
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Monitor: 25 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.
Compliance Governance Intelligence
Need to monitor specific governance provisions?
Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.
Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.
This requirement establishes Apple's in-app purchase system as the exclusive transaction mechanism for App Store apps, which consolidates payment processing and revenue collection through a single platform-controlled channel.
Consumers pay for digital goods exclusively through Apple's payment system, which may be priced higher than alternatives, and apps are prohibited from informing users about lower prices available outside the App Store.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple.