Apple has extended the grace period for providers of online events: Apps that sell digital courses for several participants do not have to use the iPhone Group’s payment interface (In-App Purchase – IAP) until July 2021 instead of – as originally planned – from December 2020. For in-app purchases via its own payment interface, Apple automatically retains up to 30 percent of sales as commission.

Corona drives online events The extension of the deadline should “more time for the development of In -App purchase solutions “, as the group writes in a message to developers. It is known that in view of the corona crisis it is a “top priority” to hold events that were previously held locally with participants now in digital form.

The The mandatory requirement for the integration of the payment interface only applies to courses that are aimed at more than one participant. Individual sessions are explicitly excluded; these may also be billed directly via other payment interfaces, as the group laid down in a rule supplement in September – one of the very few exceptions to Apple’s IAP requirement.

Apple wants commission on digital content The sale of digital content in iOS apps may otherwise only take place via Apple’s payment interface in order to ensure commission payment. Apple recently argued in court in a dispute with Epic Games that you have a right of ownership to in-app purchases.

Companies that turned their events into digital events due to Corona suddenly saw each other Apple’s commission demand faced – including corporations like Airbnb. Facebook, which itself operates a platform for digital courses and online events and waives a commission there, at least for the time being, criticized Apple’s demand for commission – the iPhone group is making a profit from the pandemic.

Facebook wanted in the own iPhone app under the purchase button for events originally displayed the note “Apple takes 30 percent of this purchase”, but Apple did that not allowed, users must not show any “irrelevant” information.

(lbe)