Apple announced late Thursday that it would reduce commissions charged on its App Store in mainland China. The move follows pressure from regulators in the technology company’s second-largest market, as well as global scrutiny of its payment requirements.
Fees for in-app purchases and paid transactions will be reduced from 30% to 25% starting Sunday, Apple said in a statement on its developer blog.
“Apple is making changes to the App Store in China following discussions with the Chinese regulator,” the company’s announcement reads. “Starting March 15, 2026, changes will be made to the commission rates that apply to the Mainland China App Store on iOS and iPadOS.”
The cut is estimated to save Chinese developers more than 6 billion yuan ($873 million) in operating costs annually, China’s state-owned Economic Daily said Thursday in a report that framed the move as a win for Chinese digital consumers.
“This adjustment… will improve consumer choices and information transparency,” the Economic Daily said. “The premium for digital goods and services on iOS will be gradually eliminated, and prices for membership subscriptions, game recharges, live broadcast tips, mini programs and other scenarios are expected to decrease, which is expected to save consumers up to nearly 1 billion yuan per year.”
In-app purchase transactions for developers belonging to Apple’s small business and app partner programs will be reduced from 15% to 12%. “Mini apps” refer to smaller apps that work within a larger app, such as Tencent’s WeChat. The move is a big development for Chinese app developers and “super app” operators, including ByteDance, owner of Tencent and TikTok, whose platforms host many smaller apps created by third-party developers.
The 30% tax on Apple remains the main target of antitrust scrutiny by regulators around the world. The EU introduced new legislation in 2024 that forced Apple to reduce commissions to between 10% and 17% for developers. In the US, Apple allows users to pay fees within the app using alternative payment methods. App Store fees were the subject of a huge lawsuit between Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games, which forced the tech company to allow links to alternative payment sites that allow developers to avoid Apple’s tax.
China’s antitrust watchdog had begun investigating the iPhone maker over its App Store pricing last year but had not filed any formal charges, Bloomberg reported.
“In the case of China, Apple has been talking to the IT Ministry and other departments, and has been asked or pressured to reduce its fees,” said Rich Bishop, founder of AppInChina, a firm that advises foreign software developers on how to make their apps available in China.
The measure takes effect on Sunday, World Consumer Rights Day, a time when Chinese state media often highlights domestic and foreign companies accused of consumer rights violations. Apple came under fire in 2013, when its after-sales service was criticized by state broadcaster CCTV, forcing the company to publicly apologize.
In the future, the Chinese government could ask Apple to collect App Store revenue in China rather than abroad, and further strengthen regulatory oversight of foreign apps published in China, Bishop said. Apple had already removed apps such as virtual private networks (VPNs) from its China App Store at the request of Chinese internet regulators.
All devices connected to the Internet carry an individual code that reveals their location, and VPNs allow users to hide their location by assigning their device a new code. Many Chinese users and foreign companies operating in China use them to bypass strict domestic censorship of foreign websites. China’s antitrust regulator was considering an investigation into Apple’s policies and App Store fees, Bloomberg reported last year, while Chinese consumers filed an antitrust complaint over the company’s app fee structure last October. Google reduced fees for Android developers worldwide last week.
Apple’s fee reduction also applies to international developers whose apps are available on the China App Store. Bishop added: “Duolingo, the top-grossing educational app in China, makes around $50 million a year in the Chinese market, and this will save them a decent amount of money.”
