A U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision on December 11, 2025 that reversed parts of a lower‑court order that had barred Apple from collecting commissions on third‑party app sales. The ruling restores Apple’s ability to charge a fee on transactions made outside the App Store, but it sends the case back to the district court to set a “reasonable” and “non‑prohibitive” commission rate.
Apple’s standard commission structure has long been a 30 % fee on most in‑app purchases and a 15 % fee on subscriptions after the first year. In an effort to comply with earlier injunctions, Apple attempted to charge a 27 % fee on external purchases, a rate the court deemed prohibitive. The appeals court’s remand means the exact fee Apple can charge on external transactions remains undetermined, but the decision confirms that Apple can monetize these sales once a rate is set.
Apple’s Services segment generated approximately $96 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024, with a gross margin of about 73 %. The ability to collect commissions on external app sales could add a new revenue stream to this high‑margin business, potentially improving margin profile and providing a new avenue for growth. The impact will depend on the commission rate ultimately imposed by the district court.
For third‑party developers, the ruling opens a path to use alternative payment options, potentially lowering transaction costs. However, Apple will still be able to charge a fee on those sales, so developers may see a mix of benefits and continued monetization by Apple. The decision therefore balances developer flexibility with Apple’s revenue interests.
The partial reversal is part of the broader Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit that began in August 2020 and has drawn global antitrust scrutiny. By allowing Apple to charge commissions on external transactions while maintaining a requirement for a non‑prohibitive rate, the court signals a shift in the legal landscape surrounding app‑store economics and may influence future regulatory actions in the United States and abroad.
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