Last month, Apple began allowing dating apps in the Netherlands to use third-party payment services following an order from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). The firm has now announced several changes to this system to make things a bit easier for developers wanting to include third-party payment systems.
The most important change is that Apple no longer requires separate app binaries to be submitted to the App Store. Instead, the third-party payment options can be included in the existing app but its use must be limited to the app in the Netherlands App Store and on devices running iOS and iPadOS.
The second change will see Apple provide more specific criteria that it uses to evaluate third-party payment services. This should give developers a better idea about whether their ideal solution will be accepted by Apple or whether another solution will have to be chosen. Finally, Apple is updating the model sheet and the number of times it must be displayed to users. With a model sheet, developers can inform users about the external payment system and any impact using the system could have on users.
For those who believe this is a first step to the liberalisation of in-app purchases, that is definitely not the case. Apple has said that it disagrees with the ACM’s order and that it’s appealing it. It said these measures should just be looked on as Apple fulfilling its legal obligations.