Apple finally allows web payments
Industry news. Now we all get rich.
Big news shaking the app world this week: Apple just started1 allowing developers to direct users to web payments.
Why is this huge? Because now we can:
Send users to our own custom paywalls
Control payment methods directly
Manage refunds and cancellations independently
Upsells
Custom prices, customization to price visualisation and so much more!
The industry is buzzing as companies race to figure out exactly what this means for their strategies. RevenueCat2, Onboarding.Online3, and Superwall4 already rolled out features to support this (some on the next day after the announcement!).
According to RevenueCat's recent blog post5, the court's ruling against Apple's anti-steering practices means:
No Apple tax on web purchases: Apple cannot impose any commission or fee on purchases made outside the app apps in the US. Developers keep 100% of that revenue (minus any payment processor costs) instead of paying Apple 15-30%.
IMPORTANT: this is not free money, web costs some and it’s can be up to 15% with all the disputes and refund fees added up.
Unrestricted linking: Apple cannot restrict the placement, formatting, or content of in-app links or buttons that send users to an external purchase page. Apps are free to include clearly labeled buttons or calls-to-action for outside purchases.
No gating or scare tactics: Apple cannot interfere when a user decides to leave an app to purchase—beyond a neutral notice that they’re being redirected (I wonder how that one will work). Full-page warnings or extra log-in hurdles that “dissuade customer usage of alternative purchase opportunities” are not allowed.
Many folks are shouting about "saving 30% of Apple's commissions," but let’s get real—web payments aren't actually free. There's still a cost involved.
Want to hear more? We jumped on a call with the experts in the field and covered:
Impact on subscriptions, payments, and attribution
Why the App Store isn’t the growth engine it used to be
Changes in monetization and user journeys
New freedoms for app developers—and limits on Apple's control
How to rethink your product flows with Web2App
We’re now calling it “app2web”. Just to make the matter a bit more confusing to everyone. Enter: Wild West mode!
P.S.: Remember that book I wrote, App Monetisation Done Right (pretty ominous title, right)?
It dives deep into the best practices and practical frameworks for optimizing app revenue, covering everything from subscription models to user retention. I'm giving you 30% off for the next 3 days, use the code APPLE30 on checkout. If you've been hesitating, now’s your chance.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25924283-epic-v-apple-contempt-order/
https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/introducing-web-paywall-buttons/
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/leonid-yuriev_one-click-apple-pay-via-web-paymentsgreat-activity-7323954775157297152-ACSR
https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/apple-anti-steering-ruling-monetization-strategy/
Update from the expert roundtable.
If you're still wrapping your head around what external payment links mean for iOS apps then you're not alone. We just hosted a live panel with experts from Paddle, FunnelFox, and more. Takeaways? App-to-web opens up margins, speeds up payout cycles, gives back control over attribution, but comes with complexity (hello, taxes and compliance).
Will soon update you with the recording and a written summary too, stay tuned!