Apple has threatened to remove crowdfunding app Patreon from the App Store if developers continue to use unsupported third-party billing options or disable transactions on iOS instead of using Apple’s own in-app purchasing system. In a blog post and email to Patreon developers about upcoming changes to membership in the iOS app, the company says it has begun a 16-month migration process to move all developers to Apple’s subscription billing by November 2025.
Patreon also told creators that it will switch to subscriptions starting in November 2024. However, they can decide whether to charge a higher price for their memberships to cover Apple’s commission or cover the fee themselves. Additionally, creators can delay the migration to November 2025 in their Patreon settings, the company said. However, if creators choose the latter option, they will not be able to offer memberships in the iOS app until they adopt Apple’s subscription billing, as Apple’s rules will take effect starting this November.
The announcement is another example of how unevenly Apple’s App Store rules are applied — an accusation Apple has faced in the past from critics, including Fortnite maker Epic Games, which sued the tech giant over antitrust issues. Although Epic largely lost that lawsuit because the court ruled that Apple was not a monopolist, it did rule that the iPhone maker must allow links to other payment options in its apps. As a result, Apple now allows developers to promote their subscriptions via links to a website, but with a 27% commission instead of the usual 30%, or 12% instead of 15% for auto-renewing subscriptions in the second year. (Whether Apple will comply with the injunction is still being contested in court.)
Despite Apple’s rules and policies, Patreon existed in a strange gray area, as some of its subscription-based offerings could be used in the app, but others could not. Another possible reason for Patreon’s exception was the fact that many users did not come to Patreon itself to discover creators and content, Patreon CEO Jack Conte told tech news site The Verge in 2021. Instead, discovery occurred through other channels. Although the company admitted it did not have a specific deal with Apple to avoid the App Store fees, the app has been able to bypass Apple’s in-app billing requirements for some time.
Patreon is clearly not happy with Apple’s recent pressure to comply with its policies, with the company telling creators that neither of the options offered – either raising subscription prices or covering the costs themselves – are “ideal.”
“Most creators on Patreon use subscription billing,” Patreon’s blog post reads. “Over the last few years, we’ve rolled it out slowly, overcoming every hurdle that came up to ensure the migration wasn’t disruptive for creators. That’s how we like to launch products. Unfortunately, we can’t keep doing it that way due to Apple’s schedules and restrictions. Instead of helping creators move to subscription billing if and when they feel it’s right for them, we’re now forced to migrate all creators according to Apple’s schedule.”
The company reminded developers that Apple’s fees only apply to the iOS app and that developers can continue to offer the same prices on the web and Android. It also advised developers to direct their fans to a help article explaining iOS fees so subscribers can “better understand the impact depending on where they make their purchases.”
Patreon and Apple were not immediately available for further comment.
