TECH NEWS – In the Netherlands, dating apps are allowed to use other options that bypass Apple’s payment solution, but in return, the company is making them jump through several hurdles…

Apple’s profit margin has been 30% so far, but with the alternative options, it will be set at 27% net of tax, which may be suitable for developers on the surface. Still, in return, the tech company is putting a plethora of hurdles in front of them. They will have to ask Apple for permission to use a specific API, then inform customers of the redirection, then submit revenue reports, so there will be a lot more administration than before. It’s clear to see why the tech company is doing it…

“Apple will charge a 27% commission on the price paid by the user, net of value-added taxes. This reduced rate excludes value related to payment processing and related activities. Developers will be responsible for the collection and remittance of any applicable taxes, such as the Netherlands’ value-added tax (VAT), for sales processed by a third-party payment provider,” the company says. They send out invoices to developers, who will have 45 days to pay. And here we would point out that the difference is only three per cent in the profit margin; one can see why: Apple IS trying to discourage developers from “going eccentric”…

MacWorld has collected some reactions from developers who have expressed their strong displeasure on Twitter. One of them says, “[it’s] vile. This says everything about Tim Cook’s Apple and what it thinks of developers. I hope the company gets exactly what it deserves. Everybody on their executive team should be ashamed, and some of them should not be here when it’s all over. We all see you.” Another developer first described the issue with the internationally recognizable middle finger, then summarised: “[a] separate app, only available in the Netherlands, cannot also support IAP, must display scary sheets before payment, website links are all to a single URL specified in Info.plist with no parameters, must submit a monthly report to Apple listing every external transaction!”

And a third tweet states, “Apple will comply with the law in the Netherlands to allow dating apps to use alternative payment systems but will still charge 27% commission. After Stripe fees of 2.9%, it will cost developers money to not use Apple IAPs. It defeats the purpose of the law.” The difference is almost zero (0.1%…, and the image below shows how developers will have to represent their opt-out from Apple’s system. It’s shocking.

Source: WCCFTech