The tech giant Apple announced Thursday it will reduce commission charges for developers operating through its App Store in mainland China, marking a significant victory for Chinese app creators following regulatory pressure in what represents Apple’s second-biggest market globally.
Beginning Sunday, the California-based company will decrease fees for in-app purchases and paid transactions from the current 30% down to 25%, according to a company statement posted online. Developers participating in Apple’s small business and mini apps partner programs will see even steeper cuts, with their fees dropping from 15% to 12%.
The term “mini apps” describes smaller software programs that function inside larger applications, such as those found within Tencent’s popular WeChat platform.
This development represents a major breakthrough for Chinese app developers and companies operating “super apps,” including tech giants Tencent and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. These platforms serve as hosts for numerous smaller applications developed by third-party creators.
According to a Thursday report from the state-run Economic Daily, the fee reduction could save Chinese developers more than 6 billion yuan ($873 million) in operational expenses each year. The publication presented this change as beneficial for Chinese digital consumers.
“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, and the prices of 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.”
The controversial 30% commission, often called the “Apple Tax,” continues to face antitrust examination from regulators around the world. European Union legislation implemented in 2024 compelled Apple to reduce commission rates to between 10% and 17% for developers. Meanwhile, in the United States, Apple now permits users to make in-app payments through alternative payment systems.
“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,” explained Rich Bishop, who founded AppInChina, a consulting firm that helps international software developers launch their applications in China.
The timing of this announcement is notable, as it takes effect on World Consumer Rights Day this Sunday, when Chinese state media traditionally spotlights companies accused of violating consumer rights. Apple faced similar scrutiny in 2013 when state broadcaster CCTV criticized the company’s customer service practices, resulting in a public apology from Apple.
Bishop suggested that Chinese authorities might eventually require Apple to process App Store revenue domestically rather than overseas, while also increasing regulatory supervision of foreign applications distributed in China.
Apple has previously complied with Chinese internet regulators’ requests to remove certain applications, including virtual private networks (VPNs), from its China App Store.
VPNs work by masking users’ actual locations through reassigned device codes, allowing Chinese users and foreign businesses operating in China to circumvent the country’s strict internet censorship of international websites.
Bloomberg News reported last year that China’s antitrust authority was considering an investigation into Apple’s policies and App Store fees, while Chinese consumers filed an antitrust complaint regarding the company’s fee structure last October. Google recently reduced Android developer fees globally.
The fee reduction extends to international developers whose applications are available through the China App Store.
“Duolingo, the top-grossing education app in China, makes about $50 million a year from the Chinese market and this will be saving them a decent amount of money,” Bishop noted.
