Apple changes App Store rules to allow tips via in-app purchases, block custom review prom...

Posted:
in iPhone
Addressing a recent controversy, Apple this week updated App Store rules to allow tipping functions -- albeit with the company's usual 30 percent take from in-app transactions. Review pop-ups, meanwhile, must now make use of an official Apple API.

WeChat, which has some 938 million active accounts.
WeChat, which has some 938 million active accounts.


"Apps may use in-app purchase currencies to enable customers to 'tip' digital content providers in the app," the company's new guidelines read. Developers will have to decide whether to pass on the remaining 70 percent of the money or claim some of it for themselves.

Last month Apple began a crackdown on Chinese social networking apps like WeChat and Yinke, which were letting people send tips to streamers and others by way of external wallets. The company demanded that apps either switch to an in-app purchase model or disable tipping entirely.

The move drew criticism from some of the affected firms, in part because Apple doesn't provide any special service in tipping transactions, and because Chinese developers reportedly view tipping as different from sales, simply an act of appreciation for something already delivered.

The new policy could potentially make streaming more lucrative in some cases by removing gray areas and encouraging wider adoption of tipping. Host platforms, meanwhile, may try and use it as a new source of revenue.

A downside is that streamers could see their income cut by almost a third, unless they're able to convince viewers to spend extra on tips. "Star" streamers can sometimes earn hundreds or thousands of dollars every time they go on the air.

Reviews




In another section of the guidelines, 1.1.7, Apple states that it's ending support for custom review prompts in favor of its standard API -- introduced in iOS 10.3 -- which lets people enter a rating and review without switching to the App Store.

Critically, the standardized pop-ups are limited to appearing three times per year, and won't show up again for at least a year if a rating is submitted. In iOS 11 people will in fact be able to turn off review prompts entirely, through a new "In-App Ratings & Reviews" option in the iTunes and App Store section of the iOS Settings app.

Developers often count on ratings and reviews to raise their profile in the App Store. Until now however some apps have been especially aggressive, triggering pop-ups several times a month or more.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Jut today I bought dinner, and paid with Apple Pay on my iPhone, but Apple pay didn't let me specify my tip on the Apple Pay/Wallet interface. I had to use the portable machine to add a tip. How many more years do we have to wait for this obvious important functionality?
    superkloton
  • Reply 2 of 12
    raptoroo7raptoroo7 Posts: 140member
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    superkloton
  • Reply 3 of 12
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    If money goes through Apple's App Store, they deserve a portion of it for providing the platform. They're not a charity.
    mike1
  • Reply 4 of 12
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    In regards to the "tipping" section of the article: seriously, what did I just read?...  :|
  • Reply 5 of 12
    DonvermoDonvermo Posts: 61member
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    If money goes through Apple's App Store, they deserve a portion of it for providing the platform. They're not a charity.
    I believe he has a point though, tipping IS a cultural custom that varies per country and region and has different implications depending on where you are. What I am more interested in is how Apple deals with custom payment platforms on iOS then. WeChat in China is basically an OS in an app and facilities a whole host of financial transaction options, do all of these incur the 30% tax? If they don't then I wonder how they differ from tipping, if they do then I wonder about the shitstorm Apple might be walking into since some regions like EU and probably China could label this as abuse of power. (Not that I necessarily agree)
  • Reply 6 of 12
    If money goes through Apple's App Store, they deserve a portion of it for providing the platform. They're not a charity.
    Sure, but certainly not 30%. 5-10% are more than enough. 
  • Reply 7 of 12
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    I do agree about the % take. In the US tipping use to a simple thank you for what someone did until the Federal government got involved they now tax that as income. I have been going to places who will not allow you to put the tip on your credit card, you have to pay in cash. This is done for a number of reasons, one of the top reason is the person who the tip is for will get the full tip.

    However, you missed Apple's points here, it about not ripping people off from the tipper side of the equations. It is about security and people not getting scammed. And Android is so much secure so what would any developer put themselves at risk of processing transactions only to have someone getting ripped off. Part Apple's 30% is to make sure transactions are secure. Do you think developers want to take on those risks.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    iknowtonyiknowtony Posts: 3unconfirmed, member
    Jut today I bought dinner, and paid with Apple Pay on my iPhone, but Apple pay didn't let me specify my tip on the Apple Pay/Wallet interface. I had to use the portable machine to add a tip. How many more years do we have to wait for this obvious important functionality?
    I use Apple Pay to buy dinner and easily tip. The server puts the amount on the machine, passes it to me, I add in the tip, press OK, then when it asks me to insert or tap my card, I do the Apple Pay transaction and done. Apple Pay doesn't replace the terminal, it replaces the credit card itself.
    mike1StrangeDayspatchythepirate
  • Reply 9 of 12
    iknowtonyiknowtony Posts: 3unconfirmed, member
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    I think the statement "once again" is a bit exaggerated. There are a ton of American companies that are obtuse to international cultures, and although Apple may miss the mark here and there (as we all do from time to time), they have a pretty good track record. In regards to your latter statements, the tip still needs to come from an app, so it's not that Apple is doing nothing, it's still providing all that backend access and support, as well as the security of the transaction, through the app. Just like credit card companies charge a % for a transaction, why shouldn't Apple (or Google or Samsung through their pay platforms)? Although I do think 30% is steep, I agree with you that there are viable alternatives. However, any transaction done through any system is going to pay a surcharge, unless you pay by cash. For apps that handle their own transaction, I agree with you, don't support iOS, problem solved. Otherwise, it's pay to play.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    maestro64 said:
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, if I were the developers who are losing out I would focus on Android which there are a ton of manufacturers in China offering high end low cost phones with better specs. I get it Apple is hosting the files, puts resources behind hosting the files like Apps, etc, but when it comes to general items that they have nothing to do with other than being accessed on an iOS device they should get $0.
    I do agree about the % take. In the US tipping use to a simple thank you for what someone did until the Federal government got involved they now tax that as income. I have been going to places who will not allow you to put the tip on your credit card, you have to pay in cash. This is done for a number of reasons, one of the top reason is the person who the tip is for will get the full tip.

    However, you missed Apple's points here, it about not ripping people off from the tipper side of the equations. It is about security and people not getting scammed. And Android is so much secure so what would any developer put themselves at risk of processing transactions only to have someone getting ripped off. Part Apple's 30% is to make sure transactions are secure. Do you think developers want to take on those risks.
    People get scammed in the App Store anyway. With so many apps, updates and ads there's no way for Apple to vet it all. https://medium.com/@johnnylin/how-to-make-80-000-per-month-on-the-apple-app-store-bdb943862e88
  • Reply 11 of 12
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    Jut today I bought dinner, and paid with Apple Pay on my iPhone, but Apple pay didn't let me specify my tip on the Apple Pay/Wallet interface. I had to use the portable machine to add a tip. How many more years do we have to wait for this obvious important functionality?
    You misunderstand the transaction. AP is just a digital credit card -- it's entirely normal and expected that the transaction amount, including tip, is specified on the merchant's POS terminal prior to charging your card, which just happens to be AP. 
  • Reply 12 of 12
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    raptoroo7 said:
    Once again Apple shows they have NO CLUE when it comes to other countries customs and culture. Tipping in some countries like China as noted is a way of thanking someone, its not a payment for services rendered, etc. Its just a thank you. They want to take 30% for doing 0% of the work, 


    the 30% of nothing argument has been around for a while. that's not going to convince Apple to change their rule that all transactions started within an app must go through their system and they get 30%. even though i'm sure they are very very well aware of the culture in China about tipping. 
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