Apple has spent years fighting Epic Games in court and resisting EU app store regulations at every turn. So you’d think Chinese regulators coming after its App Store commission would get a similar response. You’d be wrong.
Apple announced it’s cutting the App Store commission for developers in mainland China, effective March 15. The whole thing went through with barely a word of pushback. The standard rate is dropping from 30% to 25% for paid apps and in-app purchases on iOS and iPadOS. Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program members will see their eligible rate drop from 15% to 12%.
That covers qualifying in-app purchases and auto-renewable subscription renewals after the first year. Apple says the changes follow “discussions with the Chinese regulator,” though it hasn’t shared more detail than that. Developers don’t need to sign any updated terms to receive the lower rates starting March 15.
Why Apple didn’t argue
This isn’t the first time Apple has quietly complied with demands from Beijing that it would have resisted elsewhere. The company removed over 400 VPN apps from the Chinese App Store at Beijing’s request. It moved iCloud data for Chinese users onto government-operated servers. It also pulled the AirDrop unlimited sharing option when Chinese authorities flagged it during the 2022 protests. None of those moves came with lawsuits or years of appeals.
Compare that to how Apple handles regulatory pressure elsewhere. The Epic Games lawsuit ran for years before courts finally forced Apple to open up payment links in the US. In Europe, the EU’s Digital Markets Act pushed Apple into opening up app sideloading, something it resisted loudly and at every step. Bloomberg reported in February 2025 that China’s antitrust watchdog was laying groundwork for a potential probe targeting Apple’s App Store fees. Roughly a little over a year later, the commission is already cut. No legal drama necessary.
The reason isn’t hard to figure out. China still accounts for around 75% of iPhone assembly, and over 80% of Apple’s top suppliers have factories there. Tim Cook has said openly that there’s no supply chain more critical to Apple than China. Rocking the boat with Beijing carries risks that a multi-year court battle in California simply doesn’t.
Developers selling apps on the Chinese mainland storefront will see the lower App Store commission applied automatically starting this weekend.
