Apple Restructures EU App Store Fees to Navigate DMA Compliance

Developers operating in the EU can now opt for a 5 percent commission rate under Tier 1, which covers basic amenities such as privacy labels and support access. However, this cut strips away critical functionality, including automatic app updates and promotional tools. To maintain the full suite of App Store features, developers must commit to Tier 2, which mandates a 13 percent commission. All applications are defaulted to this higher tier unless developers manually adjust their settings.

Simultaneously, Apple introduced a 5 percent Core Technology Commission applied to transactions processed outside the App Store environment. This move arrives as the company attempts to reconcile its proprietary business model with the strict mandates of the DMA. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has already challenged these limitations, arguing the restructuring maintains restrictive barriers for developers seeking to bypass traditional in-app payment pipelines.