This week centered on the number that could define US link-out economics: after the Supreme Court declined to halt the lower-court proceedings, Apple proposed commissions of up to 15% on out-of-app purchases. Meanwhile, Google’s new store-access program brought Aptoide back to Google Play in the US, showing that alternative app distribution is also beginning to open up in practice.
Apple proposes up to 15% commission on US link-out purchases, and asks the court to force Epic into settlement talks
After the Supreme Court refused to pause the lower-court proceedings, Apple filed its court-ordered fee proposal in the Northern District of California (Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers): 15% for standard apps, 10% for the Video, News and Mini Apps Partner Programs and subscription renewals, and 5% for Small Business Program apps (developers under ~$1M/year). Apple argued the rates would let large numbers of US developers link out profitably while compensating it for its IP, tools and services, benchmarking against Google Play's 20%/15%/10% link-out rates that Epic had agreed to. The Supreme Court granted a roughly 24-hour pause on Aug 12 but denied Apple's request to halt proceedings on Aug 13; it will hear Apple's appeal in the term beginning October, with Apple's brief due Sept 14. The dispute traces to the 2021 injunction — after Apple imposed a 12–27% link-out fee, the judge held it in contempt in April 2025, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the finding but said Apple is entitled to some compensation and remanded to set a fee. Epic responded that the proposed fees fall far outside the Ninth Circuit's guidance and noted Apple effectively conceded the fee would be 0% under a "necessary costs" definition; separately, Apple filed a motion to refer both parties to a settlement conference before Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero, though Epic did not consent and the motion contained no terms.
Why it matters: The commission rate ultimately set by the court will provide an important benchmark for the commercial viability of external payments on iOS in the US. For publishers, greater clarity would make it easier to build more concrete revenue models around DTC and Merchant-of-Record solutions. Even if the 15% rate proposed for standard apps were adopted, publishers would retain meaningful cost-saving potential compared with the 30% App Store commission. Apple has proposed a 5% rate for small businesses, while Epic argues that the fee could be 0% if limited to necessary costs, leaving open the possibility of a lower final rate. Publishers can prepare by modeling several fee scenarios and designing their US DTC strategies with flexibility. By using an MoR to manage payments, tax, fraud prevention, refunds, and regulatory compliance, they can pursue benefits beyond commission savings—including direct customer relationships, better payment data, and the opportunity to develop out-of-app commerce into a sustainable growth channel.
Sources: TechCrunch — "Apple proposes to take a 15% cut of purchases made outside the App Store", 9to5Mac — "Apple proposes commissions of up to 15% for off-App Store purchases in the US [U]", MacRumors — "Apple Wants to Charge Developers Up to 15 Percent for Linking Outside the App Store", 9to5Mac — "Apple seeks settlement talks with Epic Games in new court filing"
Aptoide returns to Google Play (US) via Google's new "Play Catalogue Access" program
Aptoide Games has returned to Google Play in the US after more than a decade, approved through Google's new Play Catalogue Access program, which lets qualifying third-party app stores integrate with Google Play infrastructure while remaining independent marketplaces. US Android users can now discover and install the independent games marketplace directly through Google Play. Aptoide, founded in 2009, reports around 25 million monthly active users and 400,000+ Android apps, with the US as its largest market. Previously removed under policies barring competing stores from Play, the company framed the return as lowering a longstanding barrier to Android app-store competition, with CEO and co-founder Paulo Trezentos tying it to regulatory scrutiny and the Epic Games v. Google litigation.
Why it matters: Alternative app-store distribution is a key out-of-app channel, and easier surfacing of rival stores directly from Play lowers friction for publishers to reach users outside the default storefront and its IAP. It's an early, concrete sign that Epic v. Google remedies are translating into real alternative-distribution access on Android.
Sources: PocketGamer.biz — "Aptoide returns to Google Play after more than a decade"
The takeaway
The week's pattern is a familiar one: courts and regulators keep prying open out-of-app channels, while platform gatekeepers work to reprice the door. Apple's proposed 15% link-out fee is unsettled and could land anywhere from Apple's number to Epic's 0% argument, so publishers building US external funnels should model a range rather than a fixed rate — and note that alternative distribution on Android is now a live option too. From tokenz's MoR vantage point, the durable advantage of out-of-app monetization is control over the customer relationship, payments, and retention, not just the commission delta; build for that regardless of where the fee settles.
