I think the nightmare scenario is that every app, large and small, tries to link out for payments. It’s an added hassle, especially if you have kids or if you’re app-curious. It might also be a small but increased security risk for every one of those. If nothing, though, it is a hassle to create a new account somewhere and enter your payment information; deal with the inevitable emails; manage the subscription on their site; etc. It is not what I want, as a user.
I’m on the Amazon website a couple of times a week to order stuff; I’m okay buying a Kindle or Audible book while I’m there. I don’t want to trade that for every other app wanting me to work through their website, too.
The other thing I wonder about is whether apps that don’t require payment of some kind will get aggressive about trying to get you to link out to their site to get your email. That could also get annoying if handled poorly.
I think this is the point Alex is trying to make.
at the end you have 10 apps with 10 different payment options.
For every app you have to go to a website to login to you account and use their payment service … this would be a nightmare …
I do that in the Amazon app. On the iPad, I can’t buy ebooks, music or audio books on Amazon. What exactly, in the transactions for ebooks does Apple do in the Amazon app that would entitle them to a 30% cut of the ebook sale, compared to buying the same physical book in the Amazon app? In both cases absolutely nothing runs over Apple. The payment is (would be) made directly to Amazon, the book would be delivered directly from Amazon, Apple is doing nothing, yet Apple feels entitled to a cut of the ebook transaction.
If Apple charged Amazon a flat rate of x Cents per user per year and a 2% - 5% transaction fee to cover the costs of providing the downloads of the app and its updates and the convenience for the user of using Apple Pay, if they want to, I’d be fine with that.
But 30% for doing absolutely nothing? (Payment is done by Amazon and its partners, book is delivered from Amazon directly, nothing goes over Apple’s network and they don’t process the payment.)
I get it that putting an app in the store only costs ~$99 a year, no matter how many downloads the app has and the bigger selling apps cover the costs of the free apps. But taking 30% for ebook sales it just taking the Jimmy!
If Apple is taking 30c on a 99c app, how much more are they doing for the $10-$20 that an e-Textbook would net them? Maybe the percentage should be capped? “30% or $1, whichever is the lesser”, for example (or $2, if that is what is needed to cover the costs of running the Store)?
Or you say “to hell with it, I’ll pay the Apple vig and pay them through Apple Pay.”
I would think it would be fair to have to keep the Apple Pay, but be able to offer external payment for those that want to / already have payment set up with the developer.
My understanding of things is that the developers are permitted to add links to other payment systems, but that they must include the option to pay Apple as well. So this isn’t a situation where you only have one option - but a choice between two or more options, one of which is always to pay Apple.
Alex speech was great I felt like I was going into battle. This is what makes Mac break stand out having both sides explain their positions. Thank you Andy Alex Rene and Leo for a great listen this afternoon
