Apple Proposes 15% Fee for Off-App Store Purchases in Epic Dispute

Apple has proposed charging fees of up to 15 percent on digital purchases made through external links in its ongoing legal dispute with Epic Games. The proposal, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on August 13, 2026, came just after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Apple's request to pause lower-court proceedings while it reviews whether Apple can be held in contempt for charging a 27 percent commission on off-App Store purchases.

Under Apple's plan, standard apps subject to the existing 30 percent in-app purchase commission would pay a 15 percent fee on purchases made via linkouts to the web. Apps in the Small Business Program, which normally pay a 15 percent commission, would pay 5 percent. Apple stated these rates are based on expert analysis and are lower than the linkout rates Google charges in a separate case.

The proposal follows a complex legal timeline. In 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative purchasing methods. Apple later implemented a fee structure that Epic challenged, leading Judge Gonzalez Rogers to find Apple in contempt of court in April 2025 and bar it from charging...