Apple is extending fee waivers for digital classes on the App Store

Apple said Monday that companies offering digital lessons or virtual events through iPhone apps will not have to use Apple App Store in-app purchases until June 2021, enabling them to charge their customers directly without a 30% commission fee from Apple.

The extension will help companies by giving them more time to hold paid digital events rather than in-person events during the Covid-19 pandemic, at no extra charge.

“Although the apps are required to offer any online paid group event experiences (one-on-one, few, and multiple experiences) through in-app purchase as per App Store 3.1.1 review guidelines, we have temporarily postponed this requirement with the original December 2020 deadline,” he wrote Camel On its developer blog. “To allow additional time to develop solutions for in-app purchases, this deadline has been extended until June 30, 2021.”

An Apple spokesperson had no comment following Monday’s announcement.

The move is the latest olive branch from Apple to App Store critics, who argue that the iPhone giant’s control of the platform and the fees are not competitive. Apple too Advertise Earlier this month, it planned to cut its commission to 15% for app developers making less than $ 1 million on Apple platforms in 2021.

Apple originally waived the in-app purchase requirement for group categories and events in SeptemberAfter Facebook introduced the paid events feature and tried to include a copy within its apps warning that a portion of the transactions for paid events will go to Apple. But at the time, Apple only suspended its fees until December. Monday’s announcement extended for another six months.

Apple requires iPhone apps to use Apple’s App Store payment processing, which takes 30% of all payments and it’s done An antitrust focus for policymakers around the world. However, personal items, such as ordering a ride through Uber or buying something from an online retailer, are not required to use App Store payments.

In September, Apple clarified that individual classes through the iPhone app could be billed directly, but any virtual classes in which a teacher or group worked with multiple people was required to use App Store payments.

The New York Times reported in July Some app makers, such as Airbnb and ClassPass, are switching business models to include more digital classes as personal experiences have been negatively affected by the pandemic, and Apple has required them to use in-app purchases that have given them 30% off discounts.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about the company’s policies regarding seasons and virtual events at a Congressional hearing in July by Representative Jerry Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

“The epidemic is a tragedy, and it hurts Americans and many people from all over the world, and we will never benefit from that,” Cook said. “I think the cases you’re talking about are cases where something has moved to a digital service, which technically needs to be subject to our commission model.”