On Wednesday, Apple announced that starting in 2022, it will allow certain apps to link to their external websites to subscribe and make payments. Currently, developers can notify customers to subscribe on their external websites but cannot link to them directly. Soon they can have a button users tap to go to their payment portal, skirting the App Store’s 30-percent take.
The rule change comes as a settlement to a Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) investigation. The concession only applies to “reader apps.” Apple defines reader apps as those that offer previously purchased content or subscriptions but do not have in-app purchases.
