Apple has updated its developer license agreement to give the company broader authority to recover unpaid commissions, fees, or other amounts by deducting them from in app purchases it processes for developers, according to changes released on Wednesday. The update affects developers in regions where local laws permit the use of external payment systems and require earnings from those systems to be reported back to Apple.
New Authority To Recoup Unpaid Amounts
Under the revised agreement, Apple states it may “offset or recoup” amounts it believes it is owed, including funds collected on a developer’s behalf from end users. This includes revenue from in app purchases for digital goods, services, subscriptions, and one time paid app downloads.
The agreement allows Apple to collect these amounts at any time and on multiple occasions. As written, developers could see deductions applied without advance notice if Apple determines that earnings were underreported or fees were miscalculated.
The agreement does not explain how Apple will assess whether a developer owes money or how disputes would be resolved.
Impact In Markets With External Payments
The changes apply to regions where developers are permitted to link to external payment systems, including the European Union, the United States, and Japan. In these markets, developers are still required to pay Apple commissions or fees tied to those external transactions.
In the United States, the legality of some of these commissions remains unresolved. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that a district court should consider allowing Apple to collect some commission, though not the full 27 percent fee the company previously charged.
Fees That May Be Recovered
Developer payments that fluctuate over time include commissions, platform fees, and taxes. One example is the Core Technology Fee in the European Union, which currently charges €0.50 for each first annual install above one million over a 12 month period.
Apple has said it will replace that fee in January 2026 with a Core Technology Commission. The new commission will apply to apps that use external payment methods or operate under Apple’s alternative business terms in the EU. Apple said it will collect that commission directly under the revised agreement.
Collection From Related Entities
The updated agreement also allows Apple to recover unpaid amounts from affiliated entities tied to the developer account. This includes parent companies, subsidiaries, or other related accounts.
In practice, this means Apple could deduct unpaid fees from other apps owned by the same developer or from apps published by a related company.
These provisions appear in Schedules 2 and 3, section 3.4 of the agreement, which governs how applications are delivered to end users.
Additional Policy Updates
The revised agreement includes other changes beyond fee recovery. Apple added new sections related to age assurance technology, updated terms for iOS apps distributed in Japan, and other compliance requirements.
Apple also introduced new language governing voice based assistants activated through the iPhone’s side button. The agreement restricts apps from being designed to facilitate audio, video, or screen recordings without a user’s awareness. Apple did not ban such recordings outright, but added language stating that apps may not be built to enable recording without clear user knowledge. How the company will enforce or interpret that requirement has not been specified.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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