(Bloomberg/Chris Welch) — Apple Inc. introduced a new program Thursday that lets the iPhone maker collect revenue from mini apps and games within larger “super apps,” an attempt to capitalize on a growing trend among software developers.
The initiative — called the Mini Apps Partner Program — takes a 15% cut of in-app purchases for mini apps and games, Apple announced on Thursday. That’s half the 30% level that many developers are usually charged when the company processes payments.
Tencent Holdings Ltd., the owner of WeChat, is the most successful developer in the mini app space, and the China-based company has already decided to partake in the new initiative, Bloomberg News reported earlier on Thursday.
Mini app creators in WeChat had been using loopholes to avoid Apple’s in-app payments framework and steer users to outside methods. Apple and Tencent held more than a year of talks on the issue, which took on new importance in October when OpenAI said that ChatGPT will support mini apps.
The new program should help lock those software creators into Apple’s preferred approach and guarantees the company more revenue. Launching a program that’s open to all developers helps avoid the idea that Apple is creating special rules for influential companies like Tencent, which has over a billion WeChat users.
Beyond WeChat, super apps have grown popular in Japan with the Line social network. In Russia, the Max platform allows users to handle communications and finances.
To qualify for the new program, a mini app or game must be released by a party “that’s not directly or indirectly controlled” by the developer of the dominant app. Developers must also rely on several frameworks, including one that asks for a user’s age range to ensure age-appropriate content.
The program is the latest adjustment to Apple’s App Store in the face of developer complaints and regulatory scrutiny. The company also has lowered its commission for popular video services and media apps.
In the EU, Apple has been forced to significantly loosen its App Store policies and make it easier for developers to accept alternative payments. The company is making changes in the US as well.
(Updated to note Apple is making major App Store changes in the US.)
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