Pressure from Asia: Taiwan gets lower App Store rates as South Korea hands Apple a fine
Within two days Apple had to give ground to regulators in two Asian countries over the commission it charges developers.
From Saturday 31 October Apple is lowering the standard commission in the Taiwanese App Store from 30 to 26 percent for paid apps and in-app purchases on iPhone and iPad. According to 9to5Mac and MacRumors, the move follows talks with Taiwan's competition authority. Developers do not need to sign the new terms in advance to benefit from the lower rate. MacRumors notes that Apple already applies the same 26 percent rate in Japan and the European Union, and settled on 25 percent in China after negotiations.
A day earlier South Korea's media and communications regulator had fined Apple and Google over their payment rules. Apple must pay 20.81 billion won, just over 15 million dollars, and Google 42.9 billion won, The Korea Times reports. It is the first time the regulator has enforced a 2021 law that bars app stores from forcing developers to use a particular payment system. Both companies charged a 26 percent commission on external payments, which the regulator said amounted to an obligation to use their own systems.
The regulator also found that app reviews had been delayed without clear explanation. Apple alone was faulted for calculating its commission for Korean developers on prices including VAT between 2015 and 2023, while foreign developers were charged on prices excluding VAT, 9to5Mac writes. Both companies must allow external payment links and revise their review procedures. Apple said it disagrees with the decision and is weighing its options.