What happened and why it matters

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling that forces Apple to allow iOS apps in the U.S. to include external payment links, without interference or added fees. This means:

• Businesses can now bypass Apple’s 15-30% commission fees on external transactions.
• Apple can no longer restrict how apps inform users about alternative payment options, including credit card payments on the web.
• Developers gain full control over building seamless, branded purchase flows using external payment systems.

For companies with monetized apps, this isn’t just a legal shift—it’s a strategic opening to reduce costs, improve profit margins, and take ownership of the customer journey.

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Key implications for product development

This ruling provides many new potential benefits for clients, including: 

1. Keeping More of Your Revenue

With external payment options fully allowed, businesses can retain an additional 15-30% of revenue on every transaction processed outside the app. This can make a significant difference for subscription services, digital content providers, and any app offering paid features.

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Using web payments with a provider like Stripe provides significant revenue benefits

2. Explicitly Directing Users to Web Payments

One of the biggest changes is that you no longer have to rely on vague language or hinting at web alternatives. You can clearly state where and how users can make purchases outside the app and provide direct calls-to-action and promotional messaging encouraging users to purchase on the web.

3. Designing Your Own Payment Experience

External payment flows allow complete flexibility over the checkout process. Teams can now implement custom payment pages using tools like Stripe or Paddle, offer upsells and product bundles, and create frictionless experiences across mobile and web platforms.

4. Faster Iteration Without App Store Bottlenecks

External payment solutions remove the need for App Store approval cycles on pricing and product changes. Businesses can quickly roll out new pricing experiments, promotions, and checkout optimizations directly via the web, without waiting for app reviews.

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An example of a new custom payment solution using Stripe

Opportunities for growth teams

In addition to new product possibilities, this ruling offers new opportunities for growth initiatives, including:

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• Advanced A/B Testing: Run experiments comparing in-app IAP purchases with external payment flows. Test different pricing models, checkout designs, and promotional campaigns to identify the highest-converting strategies.
• Flexible Promotions: Launch coupon codes, limited-time offers, and localized pricing—features that were impossible with Apple’s IAP.
• Higher Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): By capturing customer emails and attribution data through web purchases, clients can build stronger retention strategies and create better-targeted marketing campaigns.
  
  

Our recommendations

Given this ruling, we’re recommending the following actions:

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1. Research and select an external payment option: Payment providers like Stripe and developers are moving quickly to provide web payment options with credit cards and Apple Pay that provide a near-IAP user experience.
2. Experiment and optimize: Use A/B tests and analytics to optimize and determine the best-performing checkout experience and pricing strategy.
3. Explore new marketing possibilities: Coordinate product and marketing efforts to promote exclusive web offers directly within apps, driving users toward higher-margin web purchases.
   
   

The bottom line is that this rare policy shift opens the door for agile, data-driven monetization strategies. As the enforcement of Apple’s new rules evolves, early movers will have a competitive advantage in capturing more value from their user base. At Utility, we’re ready to help you take advantage of this ruling and build your next app or implement changes in your existing app to maximize benefits for your business.

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