The DMA: paying outside the store in Europe
A law for the biggest stores
Theo reads the news: in the EU, iPhone apps may now send players to pay on the web. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an EU law for the biggest platforms, which it calls gatekeepers. It changes how players in the EU can pay, and what each way costs the studio.
True story: €500 million for steering
On 23 April 2025, the European Commission found that Apple breached its "anti-steering obligation" under the DMA, and fined it €500 million. It was one of the first two fines under the law.
Under the DMA, app makers "should be able to inform customers, free of charge, of alternative offers outside the App Store, steer them to those offers and allow them to make purchases." The Commission ordered Apple "to remove the technical and commercial restrictions on steering".
Source: European Commission: Commission finds Apple and Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act (23 Apr 2025), ec.europa.eu
Quick check
What did the Commission order Apple to do?
- Remove its limits on pointing players to offers outside the App Store
- Close the App Store in the EU
- Lower the price of every app
Show the answer
Remove its limits on pointing players to offers outside the App Store
Steering means telling players about another way to buy and sending them there. The DMA says app makers may do it, free of charge.
Four ways to pay, four rates
Apple's EU terms from 1 October 2026, at the time of writing:
- Apple In-App PurchaseApple keeps 26%.
- Another payment provider in the appApple keeps 20%.
- A link to the studio's websiteApple keeps 15% of sales made within 7 days of the tap.
- Outside the App StoreAnother app marketplace, or the studio's own site: 5%.
Two more rules
Paying outside Apple also pays a payment provider. Stripe charges 1.5% + €0.25 for a standard European card, at the time of writing: €0.40 on a €10 sale.
And a studio that picks its ways to pay "must maintain those options for 12 months."
Do the math
1In-App Purchase2 Apple 26%3web link4 Apple 15%5 Stripe €0.40
Theo compares one €10 sale. How much reaches the studio through the web link?
- €8.10
- €7.40
- €8.50
Show the answer
€8.10
Apple keeps 15% (€1.50) and Stripe €0.40, so €8.10 is left. In-App Purchase leaves €7.40.
Fewer finish on the web
Paying on the web adds steps: a browser opens, the player signs in, then types a card. Some players stop at each one. In Theo's test, of 100 players who tap Buy, 50 finish with In-App Purchase and 40 finish on the web.
Money per tap
1In-App 50 × €7.402web link 40 × €8.10
Which way earns Shard Garden more from 100 taps on Buy?
- In-App Purchase
- The web link: its fee is smaller
- They earn the same
Show the answer
In-App Purchase
50 × €7.40 is €370; 40 × €8.10 is €324. A smaller fee on fewer sales can earn less. Studios compare money per tap on Buy, not the headline fee.
Children pay with a parent
Apple's EU rules for other ways to pay: for users under 13, those purchases "must be behind a parental gate, and out-of-app offers are not permitted." From 13 to 17, both sit behind a parental gate. Some EU countries set the age higher.
Quick check
Kai wants a "Buy coins on our website" button for every EU player, including 10-year-olds. What do Apple's EU rules say?
- Not for under-13s: out-of-app offers are not permitted
- Allowed for every age
- Allowed if the coins cost less on the web
Show the answer
Not for under-13s: out-of-app offers are not permitted
Under 13, no out-of-app offers at all. From 13 to 17, a parent has to agree first.
Pay monthly, play many
Some players pay once a month for a whole catalogue of games.
Bolt says: Next: subscription catalogues.
Fact-checked 12 October 2026
- European Commission: Commission finds Apple and Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act (23 Apr 2025) ec.europa.eu
- Apple Developer: Changes for apps in the European Union developer.apple.com
- Stripe: Pricing and fees (Ireland) stripe.com