Social media apps must pay App Store 30% for boosts
William Gallagher
Apple's revised App Store guidelines are now explicit that any social media app that allows paid boosts to social media posts are subject to the 30% in-app purchase fee.
Alongside new rules for NFTs and cryptocurrency, Apple has added or altered many App Store stipulations. Notably, it is introducing this 30% IAP levy on social media boosts, but it also sets out to be clear which apps it does and does not applies to.
"Digital purchases for content that is experienced or consumed in an app," it says in the new updates, " including buying advertisements to display in the same app (such as sales of 'boosts' for posts in a social media app) must use in-app purchase."
This is where the buyer is an individual, or perhaps a small business, that is buying a boost for a particular post within a social media app. Apple does not apply this fee where the app is entirely about advertising.
"Apps for the sole purpose of allowing advertisers (persons or companies that advertise a product, service, or event) to purchase and manage advertising campaigns across media types (television, outdoor, websites, apps, etc.) do not need to use in-app purchase," says Apple.
"These apps are intended for campaign management purposes and do not display the advertisements themselves," it continues.
Apple's full App Store guidelines documentation for developers is available online.
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17 Comments
I’m glad, good!
I have always been bothered by Apple demanding a cut of sales not through the AppStore. Apple wants 30% of the price of an App, fine. But demanding a third of anything bought or sold with that App when it has nothing to do with Apple or Apple’s store just feels wrong. So if somebody wants to Blaze a post on Tumblr, and Apple wants a cut because a year before they downloaded the Tumblr App? No that’s just wrong, wrong and abusive. It may make more money for Apple in the short run, but it’s that kind of crap that’s fuelling the push to call Apple a monopoly and force them to allow people to load Apps from outside the AppStore. Then everyone loses.