In a drastic update to its app fee structure, Apple announced that starting today (Dec. 6), developers will be able to choose from 900 price points for their apps across 45 currencies across 175 storefronts, from $0.10 to $10,000, sweeping Apple’s approval.
That’s nearly 10 times more than was previously available for most apps since the App Store debuted in 2008. There are also price-setting improvements for app stores around the world, so a developer can set a single price for a single country, for example, But has the prices of their apps change automatically according to the exchange rate around the world.
This means that you’ll see a flat-rate app more frequently and in various increments, not dictated by the ever-changing exchange rates, which affected the Apple TV in October.
When it comes to subscription levels, the same improvements will apply from today, but independent pricing for different countries will arrive in early 2023, while in-app purchases for apps will also be able to take advantage of these improvements from early next year.
This is a huge win for developers, who have long requested these features to better set their pricing for different regions. However, it’s also a win for users on iPhones, Macs, and other Apple devices when it comes to major updates and subscriptions for the coming years.
Better storefront of all
These improvements benefit not only developers, but also iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch users. We’ve seen in the past where some apps and subscriptions have raised their prices with Inflation is like Apple Musicbut these new features can lock in prices regardless with the ability to set lower prices than were previously allowed.
Developers can now set these improved price point selections, such as smaller price increments of $0.10 / £0.10 / AU$0.10, so in-app purchases or subscriptions can benefit from this, especially when it comes to year-round holiday deals .
Apple confirmed to TechRadar that these price improvements for in-app purchases will roll out in the spring of 2023 as they wanted to introduce these changes slowly because it represented a big change for the store and its developers. However, since in-app purchases are such a big part of games and not on Apple Arcade, developers may feel left out until the spring of next year to take advantage of these improvements.
Regardless, it’s a positive change for both developers and users, as it gives developers more control over how they price their apps, and those prices are no longer dictated by the ever-changing exchange rates around the world.
With Apple’s VR headset due in 2023, this could be a good opportunity for the company to ready the App Store when apps are released for this upcoming product, which could benefit from these price improvements.