App Store External Links After the Appeal

The rules for App Store external links aren’t frozen anymore. On December 11, 2025, the Ninth Circuit largely affirmed the lower court’s contempt findings against Apple but sent one big piece back: a blanket ban on commissions for linked-out purchases. Translation: external links stay, scare tactics go, and a “reasonable” fee is likely coming after the district court sets it. If you make money on iOS via subscriptions, credits, or content, this is the moment to rework flows, budgets, and dashboards before the next policy turn.

App Store external links: what changed in the appeal

Here’s the thing: the appeals panel agreed Apple violated the 2021 injunction by making external payments impractical—27% commissions stacked on top of payment processor fees, restrictive link formatting, and deterrent screens. Those tactics are out. But the court also said the district court went too far by banning all commissions forever. Instead, the case goes back to set a framework for a reasonable commission tied to Apple’s coordination costs and some IP compensation—not a backdoor 27% that replicates IAP.

Three takeaways matter for product and legal teams right now:

• External links remain permissible on iOS; developers can direct users to web checkout inside their apps on the U.S. storefront.
• Apple can’t make your link materially less usable than its own in‑app flow. You can match Apple’s fonts, sizes, and placement; Apple can restrict over‑emphasis (no giant “Pay on the web” billboards while hiding IAP), but parity is in bounds.
• No immediate new fee. The commission level will be set by the district court on remand. Expect a rulemaking‑like process, not a unilateral number from Cupertino.

If you built around the April 2025 order, your core rights survive. The main uncertainty is pricing—and that’s a planning problem, not a blocker.

What you can do now (and what you can’t yet)

You can keep linking users to web checkout with clear calls to action, and you can redesign away from the old friction patterns (modal warnings, link camouflage, or second‑class buttons). You should also prepare for a post‑remand commission that applies only to linked‑out purchases of digital goods triggered from your iOS app.

What you shouldn’t do: over-rotate your app UI to aggressively favor the web. The court explicitly allows Apple to limit “overemphasis.” Make your link as prominent and as easy as Apple’s IAP path—no more, no less. That’s the safe line.

Also, don’t assume you’ll pay zero forever. If your unit economics depended on a 0% Apple fee, stress test those models. Your PSP’s 2.5%–3.5% card cost plus fraud tools plus tax compliance is still real; a future Apple fee may land on top.

How much will Apple’s commission be?

Nobody can quote a percentage yet, but we can build scenarios to keep finance and growth on the same page. Historically, Apple floated 27%—so high that almost no one used it when combined with processor fees. The appeals court pointed out that a fee should reflect coordination costs and some IP value while excluding unrelated justifications (like generalized “security” overhead for web purchases). That language nudges the number downward from IAP‑like economics.

Model three tiers and set triggers now:

• Low fee (0%–5%): Most subscription apps will keep web checkout as the default. CAC payback improves vs. IAP. Expect more aggressive web promotions.
• Mid fee (6%–12%): Many media and productivity apps still prefer web; gaming/consumables may split—high ARPPU whales could remain in IAP for frictionless buys, while new subs go web.
• High fee (13%–18%): Web still beats IAP for some, but parity emerges if your payment mix skews to costly cards. You’ll optimize per-country and per‑product instead of one global policy.

Pick one default today—web checkout—and configure a feature flag to pivot if the final fee crosses your predetermined threshold. Treat it like an experiment, not a migration you can’t unwind.

Designing compliant, conversion‑friendly links

The design brief changed in your favor. You can use equal prominence and straightforward copy without the scary intermediate screens. Keep it clean and symmetric with IAP. For example: place your web checkout button adjacent to IAP with the same weight, or offer a single “Choose a payment method” screen where both options are presented evenly.

Recommended microcopy: “Pay on the App Store” and “Pay on our website.” Under each, list one benefit the court is unlikely to contest (e.g., “use Apple Pay on iOS” vs. “manage your subscription in your account”). Avoid comparative claims that diminish IAP; you’re not trying to win a copywriting war—you’re proving parity.

The External Links Playbook, v2 (30‑day plan)

Let’s get practical. Use this phased plan to stabilize revenue and ship confidently while the court sets the fee.

Week 1: Legal and product alignment

• Re‑read your current implementation against the appeal’s language. Document where your UI diverges from parity (font sizes, placement, number of CTAs).
• Draft two versions of your checkout screen: one with equal prominence and one with a neutral chooser. Put both behind a remote config toggle.
• Set financial thresholds for fee scenarios (5%, 10%, 15%). Decide your pivot rules: at what fee do you steer heavy spenders to IAP vs. web?

Week 2: Engineering and analytics

• Implement server‑side event stitching: when the user taps the external link, generate a short‑lived token and pass it via a query param to your web checkout. Use that token for attribution and fraud checks.
• Instrument parity metrics: tap‑through rate, web conversion, app return rate within 24 hours, and refund deltas vs. IAP.
• Add explainable banner copy: “You can subscribe here in the app or on our website.” Keep it neutral and auditable.

Week 3: Growth and finance

• Run a 50/50 test of the two parity designs and log results by country and SKU. Archive screenshots; compliance likes receipts.
• Build a fee sensitivity sheet: for each SKU, map PSP rates, expected fraud, and tax to a fee curve from 0% to 18%.
• Update LTV models for web vs. IAP cohorts. Expect lower churn on web where self‑serve cancellation and downgrades are clearer; verify it with your data.

Week 4: Ops hardening

• Prepare a “fee changed” playbook: a one‑line config switch to rebalance default payment method, a comms clause in your pricing page, and a customer support macro.
• Schedule quarterly UI attestations—screenshots and copy approval—so you can show good‑faith compliance if questioned.
• Run a mock audit: can a reviewer reproduce a purchase via web within two taps, with no dark patterns and equal prominence to IAP?

People also ask

Does the ruling apply outside the U.S. storefront?

The underlying injunction that birthed external links targeted the U.S. storefront. Other regions follow separate rules and, in Europe, the DMA adds its own obligations and options. Treat your linking and pricing as region‑aware.

Can Apple charge a commission right now?

No. The appeals court remanded the exact fee to the district court. Until that court sets a rate and Apple updates its terms, you’re operating under the current link allowances with no new commission on linked‑out purchases in the U.S. storefront. Plan for change; don’t pre‑pay a hypothetical fee.

How “equal” does equal prominence need to be?

Think practical parity: same type size, similar placement above the fold, and comparable visual weight. Avoid tactics that clearly steer users away from IAP (e.g., making IAP a small text link and the web button huge). If a neutral reviewer would say the options feel even, you’re close.

Should we keep IAP at all?

For many apps, yes. IAP retains one‑tap convenience and familiar refunds. It often converts better for impulse buys and small consumables. Keep both paths and let pricing, ARPPU, and fee scenarios decide which is the default on a given screen or for a given SKU.

What this means strategically

Zooming out, the platform era is moving toward controlled openness: links allowed, but with enforceable parity and a cost model that recognizes platform value without recreating the tollbooth. If your business model only works at 0% platform fees, it’s fragile. If your model only works via a single proprietary checkout, it’s fragile in the other direction. Robust companies will support both paths, instrument them well, and flex as policy and consumer expectations shift.

We’ve helped teams ship emergency security patches and policy‑driven design changes on tight timelines. If you want a sounding board or need an implementation partner for your payments UI, see what we do on our services page, browse recent guidance on our blog, or reach out via contacts. Our earlier analyses—what the appeal changes and what to do now—include checklists you can adapt today.

What to do next

If you only do five things this week, make them these:

• Ship parity: Update link placement and typography to match IAP and remove any deterrent screens.
• Instrument everything: Tag app‑to‑web handoffs with tokens, log conversion events, and build a dashboard comparing IAP vs. web by SKU.
• Model fees: Run 5%/10%/15% scenarios and pre‑decide your defaults by threshold.
• Flag and flip: Put your payment paths behind remote config so you can react the day the court sets a number.
• Document good faith: Save screenshots, copy reviews, and test protocols to demonstrate compliance if Apple reviews your app.

This appeal didn’t roll back external links; it clarified the limits and signaled a more sustainable fee discussion ahead. Build for dual‑path payments, design for parity, and keep your economics nimble. When the court publishes the commission framework, you’ll be ready to adjust in hours, not weeks.