Apple on Wednesday was released an updated one developer license agreement which gives the company permission to recoup unpaid funds, such as commissions or other fees, by deducting them from in-app purchases it processes on behalf of developers, among other methods.
The change will affect developers in regions where local law allows them to connect to external payment systems. In these cases, developers must report these payments back to Apple to pay any required fees or charges.
The changed agreement ostensibly gives Apple a way to collect what it believes is the right fee if the company determines that a developer hasn’t reported their earnings.
Apple’s policies in this area are complex, but the change could affect developers in markets like the EU, US and, now, Japan, where developers using external payment systems may be required to pay Apple varying fees or commissions depending on local laws. (In the US, the legality of these commissions is still disputed. A federal appeals court earlier this month ruled that a district court should consider allowing Apple to collect some commission, though not the full 27% fee it previously charged.)
In this new developer agreementApple says it will “set off or recover” what it believes it is owed, including “any amounts Apple collects on your behalf from end users.” That means Apple could recoup money from developers’ in-app purchases — such as those for digital goods, services and subscriptions — or from one-time fees for paid apps.
Additionally, Apple notes that it has the right to collect this money “at any time” and “from time to time,” meaning developers could face surprise discounts if Apple believes they’ve miscalculated what they’re owed.
The agreement does not specify how Apple will determine whether it is owed money.
The types of developer payments that vary over time are limited and include commissions, fees and taxes. Among them is the core technology fee (CTF) in the EU, which currently costs €0.50 for each first annual installation exceeding one million in the last 12 months. In January 2026, Apple will transition from CTF to new chargecalled the Core Technology Commission (CTC), a more complex percentage-based charge. Apple will collect CTC from apps that use external payment methods or are distributed under its EU alternative business terms.
The updated developer agreement also gives Apple the right to collect unpaid amounts from any “subsidiaries, parents or affiliates” associated with the account that owes money. In practical terms, this means that Apple could collect the money from other developers’ apps or from apps published by a parent company.
These changes are detailed in Annexes 2 and 3, section 3.4, which focuses on delivering applications to end users.
These are not the only amendments to the agreement. Apple is too introducing sections on age-proofing technology, new terms for iOS apps in Japan, and other requirements.
Interestingly, Apple sets requirements for voice-based assistants (such as AI chatbots) activated via the side button on the iPhone and prohibits recordings made without the user’s knowledge. This includes audio and video recordings, as well as screen recordings, which are often used by developers for identity issues that users experience when navigating apps or for debugging.
To be clear, Apple is not banning these recordings outright. The company simply adds language that says, “Your App may not be designed to facilitate the Registrations of others without their knowledge.” How Apple will interpret this rule remains to be seen.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
