A U.S. appeals court has denied Apple’s request to delay a previous ruling that limits its ability to charge fees on payments made outside its App Store via in-app links. This development marks a significant moment in Apple’s ongoing legal clash with Epic Games and may lead to notable changes for developers and users alike.
The court determined that Apple did not provide sufficient justification for a stay, stating in the filing that the company “bears the burden” of proving such a measure is warranted. After examining the situation, the court concluded that pausing the order was not appropriate at this stage.
As a result, Apple will now be barred—at least in the U.S.—from collecting commissions when users follow links in apps to make purchases through external websites. This could impact a key portion of Apple’s App Store revenue, especially for companies that offer digital goods and services outside Apple’s payment system.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the decision on social media, proclaiming that the “Apple tax” had finally come to an end. Apple, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment, saying it plans to continue challenging the court’s judgment during the appeals process. In a statement, the company reiterated its commitment to providing a secure environment for users and developers alike through the App Store.
This legal saga stems from a previous decision by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who ruled that Apple had violated a 2021 injunction designed to prevent anti-competitive behavior. The judge said Apple had been willfully blocking developers from directing users to alternative payment options.
In reaction to that ruling, Apple had filed an emergency motion to pause enforcement and launched an appeal shortly afterward. Although Apple had already allowed some external links in apps last year, it continued to charge developers a 27% commission and used warning messages that many saw as overly aggressive. Both of those practices are now expected to stop.
Major platforms are already moving to adjust. Companies like Spotify and Amazon have started rolling out updates to let users manage payments directly through their websites.
The timing of this setback is especially challenging for Apple, coming just ahead of its annual WWDC event. The company recently reported $1.3 trillion in sales for 2024, noting that 90% of that figure came from transactions that did not generate App Store commissions.
