Apple’s New Brazil App Store Fees Shock Developers

A stylized 3D graphic representing app growth or launch in the Apple App Store ecosystem. Image Credit: Mariia Shalabaieva / Unsplash

Apple will open iOS in Brazil to third‑party app stores and alternative payment options but retain a web of commissions on in‑app transactions under a settlement with the country’s antitrust regulator CADE that ends a three‑year probe into its App Store rules.

Brazil’s Administrative Council of Economic Defense approved a Term of Commitment to Cease that forces Apple to allow rival app stores on iPhone, permit external payment links and enable third‑party payment processing inside apps, while capping how the company can structure and disclose fees. The case, launched in 2022 after complaints from Mercado Libre and other e‑commerce players, examined whether Apple’s ban on third‑party stores and its mandatory in‑app purchase system restricted competition in iOS app distribution and digital payments.

Under the new framework, App Store sales will continue to attract commissions of 25% under standard terms, or 10% for developers enrolled in special programs, with an additional 5% fee when Apple’s own payment system is used. Purchases completed entirely outside Apple’s environment will still face at least a 5% charge, while third‑party app stores on iOS in Brazil will pay a 5% “Core Technology Commission” to Apple.

Developers in Brazil will, for the first time, be allowed to steer users to external payment channels from inside their apps, but how they do so will determine Apple’s cut. If an app uses only static text to inform users about an outside payment option, with no clickable link or button, Apple will not levy a fee on those transactions; if the app includes a clickable link or button that directs users to an external website, Apple will charge a 15% fee. Detailed scenarios and rates were first reported by Brazilian tech outlet Tecnoblog, which obtained the fee model from CADE.

CADE said Apple must present third‑party payment options alongside its own in‑app purchase solution and may show only neutral, objective warnings that do not add friction or extra steps for users choosing alternatives. The regulator gave Apple up to 105 days to implement the changes, which will apply for three years and carry potential fines of up to 150 million reais in case of serious non‑compliance.

“Developers will be able to offer alternative means of payment and promote external offers alongside Apple’s own solution, which must no longer be tied to app distribution,” CADE said in its announcement of the deal. Apple said it is adjusting iOS to comply while insisting it will preserve user security and privacy in an ecosystem that will now admit external stores and payment flows.

The CADE settlement follows similar regulatory pushes in the European Union, Japan and South Korea, where authorities have targeted Apple’s tight control over app distribution and in‑app payments. In Brazil, the probe was driven by large digital platforms such as Mercado Libre, which argued Apple’s policies abused a dominant position and inflated costs for developers and digital merchants. The full text of the commitment, CADE said, will be disclosed after internal review and formal signing, according to the regulator’s public notice.

For Brazilian iPhone users, the agreement clears the way for rival app stores and for apps such as Kindle or streaming services to sell digital goods and subscriptions without always paying the top App Store commission, provided they route purchases in line with the new rules. Competing app store operators and payment providers gain regulated access to iOS, but remain subject to Apple’s core technology fees and CADE’s oversight of how the new structure is applied. Further details of CADE’s decision and legal framework are available on the regulator’s website here.