Apple has another source of revenue

WeChat app icon on iPhone. Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Bloomberg , Apple has reached an agreement with Tencent to receive 15% of transaction fees from mini games and mini apps in the WeChat application. This move will end the dispute between the two sides surrounding transaction fees on iOS.

The deal between Apple and Tencent comes after more than a year of negotiations. Developers are expected to be required to provide certain information under Apple's software policies, such as allowing parents to share their children's ages.

The 15% figure is lower than the usual transaction fee (30%), but opens up a new source of revenue for Apple and reduces pressure on Tencent. Previously, Apple regularly asked Tencent to tighten loopholes that allowed developers to redirect users to external payment gateways, violating App Store policies.

“We have a very good relationship with Apple, cooperating with them in many different fields. We have discussed with Apple how to make the mini game ecosystem more vibrant. The official information will be announced in the near future,” Tencent President Martin Lau shared on November 13.

The deal between Apple and Tencent could help the company make a better impression in China, a market that has seen fierce competition from domestic rivals. This is also a rare time for Apple to make concessions to its partners.

According to Bloomberg , Chinese regulators have recently increased scrutiny of Apple's policies, and domestic lawyers and activists have also put pressure on the company.

Apple typically keeps a tight rein on its ecosystem to ensure consistent quality. Unlike the US, Apple does not have a high profile in China. Tencent and domestic companies like ByteDance dominate the distribution of digital content (including games and videos ), and the right to collect “commissions” from creators.

WeChat is Tencent's most popular app, used by more than a billion people for everything from payments and messaging to booking movie tickets.

The 15% fee is less than half the standard, but could help Apple penetrate the fast-growing Chinese market. WeChat mini-games brought in about $4.5 billion for Tencent in the third quarter.

In August 2024, Tencent revealed that it was negotiating with Apple around “ economically sustainable” terms, ensuring fairness for the US company to enjoy a portion of sales from mini games and mini apps in WeChat on iPhone.

Despite its popularity, the lack of clear agreements prevents Apple from taking “commissions” from transactions in mini apps and mini games. In recent years, the company has adjusted the fee to 30%, allowing the installation of external app stores and payment gateways on iPhones to meet legal requirements in some regions.

Source: https://znews.vn/nguon-thu-moi-cua-apple-post1602632.html