Apple Delays In-App Payment Deadline for Group Events Because of Covid
Apple won’t be taking a cut of in-app payments just yet from certain developers, who are getting an extension on implementing the payment system because of the pandemic.
In 2020, apps that offered in-person events but made the switch to digital interactions as COVID-19 took hold were given an exemption from Apple's 15-30% cut of in-app payments. The end of that exemption was delayed at least twice, and has now been pushed to June 30, 2022.
In a post on its developer website, Apple cited "the recent resurgence of COVID and its continued impact on in-person services" for the most recent deadline change.
Apple didn't just make these changes out of the goodness of its heart, of course. The issue dates back to summer 2020, when Facebook complained about Apple taking a 30% cut of the paid online events offered through Facebook on iOS. (Facebook is waiving fees on payments made via Facebook Pay on Android and the web until 2023.)
"We asked Apple to reduce its 30% App Store tax or allow us to offer Facebook Pay so we could absorb all costs for businesses struggling during COVID-19," Facebook said at the time. Apple initially refused, but eventually reversed course.
As 9to5Mac notes, today's announcement also gives developers a few more months to add an acccount-deletion feature to their apps. They were supposed to offer an easy-to-find "delete account" option inside their apps, but "due to the complexity of implementing this requirement, we’ve extended the deadline to June 30, 2022 to give you more time," Apple says.
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