The Spotify app for iPhone now lets you pay the way you want
Kyiv • UNN
Apple has allowed Spotify to post links to external payments for US users. This will allow Spotify to avoid Apple's 30% commission and offer lower prices.
Apple has approved an update to the Spotify app for iPhone that allows US users to receive direct links to pay for the app on an external website without restrictions. This is reported by UNN with reference to The Verge.
Details
The updated version (9.0.40) is already available in the App Store.
Apple has approved an update to the US Spotify app, which is a victory for consumers, performers, creators and authors. This will finally allow us to freely display clear pricing information and purchase links, promoting transparency and choice for consumers in the US. Now we can offer consumers lower prices, more control and easier access to Spotify
The new version contains detailed information about subscription rates and makes it possible to pay them directly on the Spotify website, where transactions will not be subject to Apple's 30% service fee for payments in applications.
According to a Spotify spokeswoman, it may take some time for the new options to appear on every phone.
Reason
Previously, Apple imposed strict restrictions on how developers could promote their apps and prohibited linking to external payment pages. Not only buttons for going to a third-party resource, but also any mention of lower prices outside the application were prohibited. The App Store charged a 27% fee for external payments. According to the publication, Apple was forced to change its rules regarding external payments after the decision in the case against Epic Games.
This week, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to abolish all fees, design restrictions and the ban on external payments.
Spotify has long been one of the most vocal critics of Apple's payment policy, and according to Moran, the "outrageous" external payment policy "contradicts the court's efforts to ensure greater competition and choice for users.
Patreon has also announced its intention to release an update that will allow external payments, while Epic is preparing its own alternative payment processing system with lower fees than Apple.