In a significant win for Chinese developers, Apple has announced it will reduce the commission fees it charges on its App Store in mainland China. The move, which takes effect this Sunday, marks a major concession in the tech giant’s second-largest market and follows apparent pressure from local regulators.
Effective immediately, the fee for in-app purchases and paid transactions will drop from 30% to 25%. For developers enrolled in Apple’s small business and mini-app partner programs, the commission will be reduced even further, falling from 15% to 12%. These “mini apps” are smaller programs that operate within larger platforms, such as the popular ecosystem inside Tencent’s WeChat.
The commission cut is a breakthrough for Chinese tech heavyweights like Tencent and ByteDance, whose “super apps” host countless third-party mini-programs. According to a report Thursday from the state-owned Economic Daily, the reduction is expected to save Chinese developers over 6 billion yuan (approximately $873 million) annually in operating costs.
The state media framed the measure as a victory for domestic consumers as well. “This adjustment will improve consumption choices and information transparency,” the Economic Daily reported. “The premium for digital goods and services on the iOS side will be gradually eliminated… prices of membership subscriptions, game recharges, live broadcast tips, and mini programs are expected to decrease, which is expected to save consumers up to nearly 1 billion yuan per year.”
Apple’s standard 30% commission, often dubbed the “Apple Tax,” has long been a target of global antitrust scrutiny. In the European Union, new legislation forced Apple to lower its fees to a range of 10% to 17% in 2024. In the U.S., the company now permits developers to direct users to alternative payment methods.
The catalyst for the change in China appears to be direct engagement with regulators. Rich Bishop, founder of AppInChina, which advises foreign developers, noted, “In China’s case, (Apple) have been talking with the IT ministry and other departments, and have been requested or pressured to reduce their fees.”
The timing of the announcement is also notable. The new fee structure goes into effect on World Consumer Rights Day, a date when Chinese state media traditionally scrutinizes companies—both domestic and foreign—for alleged consumer rights violations. Apple has felt the sting of this campaign before; in 2013, state broadcaster CCTV criticized its after-sales service, forcing the company to issue a public apology.
This latest move comes amid a backdrop of increased regulatory attention on the iPhone maker in China. Last year, Bloomberg News reported that the country’s antitrust regulator was considering an investigation into Apple’s policies and App Store fees. Furthermore, a group of Chinese consumers filed an antitrust complaint over the fee structure as recently as last October.
The decision in China also follows a broader industry trend. Just last week, Google announced it was cutting fees for Android developers worldwide.
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