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.
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.
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"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.
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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.
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