Apple said on Thursday that it will reduce the fees it collects from App Store transactions in mainland China, cutting the standard commission on in-app purchases and paid transactions to 25% from 30% effective Sunday. The company also said in-app purchase commissions for developers enrolled in its small business and mini apps partner programmes will be lowered to 12% from 15%.
The reduction affects both domestic Chinese developers and international developers whose apps are available in the China App Store. Chinese state-owned media framed the move as a substantial relief for developers and digital consumers, reporting that the adjustment will save Chinese developers more than 6 billion yuan per year in operating costs.
The Economic Daily, a state-owned outlet, said the fee change will "improve consumption choices and information transparency." It added that the "premium for digital goods and services on the iOS side will be gradually eliminated," and that prices for membership subscriptions, game recharges, live broadcast tips, mini programs and similar services are expected to decline, potentially saving consumers up to nearly 1 billion yuan annually.
The narrower small-business and mini apps partner programme rates specifically target smaller developers and apps that run inside larger platforms, often referred to as "mini apps" - for example, the smaller applications hosted within Tencent's WeChat. The move is therefore significant for operators of so-called "super apps," including the owners of major platforms that host third-party mini applications.
Industry advisers and app-market consultants have linked the fee change to engagement between Apple and Chinese regulators. Rich Bishop, founder of AppInChina, which advises foreign developers on entering the Chinese market, said that Apple "have been talking with the IT ministry and other departments, and have been requested or pressured to reduce their fees." Bishop also noted that the change comes into effect on World Consumer Rights Day, a date when state media often highlight consumer-rights issues involving foreign and domestic companies.
Bishop highlighted that the reduction will have clear winners among app operators and international developers earning in China. He pointed to Duolingo, which he said is the top-grossing education app in China and makes about $50 million a year from that market, noting the company will see a meaningful cost reduction under the new rates.
The commission known as the "Apple Tax" has come under regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. The European Union enacted legislation in 2024 that requires Apple to reduce developer commissions to a range of 10% to 17% for some developers. Apple has also made alternate payment options available to users in the United States. Separately, Google last week announced a reduction in Android developer fees worldwide.
Chinese regulators and consumers have previously raised concerns about Apple's App Store policies. Last year, China’s antitrust regulator was reported to have been considering an investigation into Apple's App Store fees, and Chinese consumers filed an antitrust complaint regarding the company's app fee structure in October. Observers said the Chinese government could also seek to alter how App Store revenues are handled in China or increase regulatory oversight of foreign apps published in the country.
Apple has complied with Chinese internet regulator requests in the past by removing certain apps, such as virtual private network applications, from the China App Store. Those VPN apps allow devices to obscure their location by assigning a different device code, a capability used by some individuals and foreign firms to access restricted foreign websites. The article notes that all internet-connected devices carry an individual code that discloses their location, and VPNs can mask that code.
Key implications of the fee change include direct cost relief for app developers operating in China, potential price reductions for digital consumers on iOS, and added regulatory momentum around platform economics. The move also underscores continued global scrutiny of platform commission models and follows other jurisdictional actions aimed at lowering developer fees.
The full operational details of how the changes will be implemented and monitored were not expanded upon in the company statement. Likewise, while industry observers flagged the potential for further regulatory steps, including changes to revenue collection and oversight, no new regulatory measures were announced alongside Apple’s fee adjustment.