SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 2 ― Apple Inc will loosen App Store rules that have banned companies like Netflix Inc from providing customers a link to create a paid account to bypass Apple's in-app purchase commissions, the company said late yesterday.
But Apple will still ban developers from taking other forms of payment inside apps on the iPhone, the key practice thatApple collects commissions between 15 per cent and 30 per cent from in-app purchases and erects barriers to keep developers from steering users toward payment alternatives. One such rule had barred “reader apps” ― where users consume content that they purchased elsewhere ― from providing a link to sign up for a paid account.
Apple said it agreed with the JFTC to let developers of these apps share a single link to their website to help users set up and manage their accounts. Though the change is part of an agreement with the JFTC, Apple said it will be applied globally.