--- title: "App-to-Web Purchase Guidelines" --- *App-to-web* # The Definitive Guide to App Store External Purchase Policies The rules for linking users from your app to a web checkout are constantly changing. Get a clear, up-to-date breakdown of every external purchase program, fee, and policy for the Apple App Store and Google Play, so you can choose the right strategy and stop overpaying commissions. - **3B+** — daily requests ## The rules are confusing. The savings are real. For the first time, you can link users from your app to your website for purchases. This is a huge opportunity to reduce app store fees, but navigating the maze of programs is a nightmare. The policies are different for Apple and Google, they change by region, and the fee structures seem designed to be as confusing as possible. This guide cuts through the noise. Below is a simple, comprehensive breakdown of every program available to you, what's allowed, and what it actually costs. ## Apple App Store external purchases guidelines Apple offers several programs that allow you to direct users to external websites for purchases. Eligibility and fees vary by region and app category. Sources linked in the caption below. | Region/program | Eligible apps | What's allowed | Commissions/fees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | United States: External Purchase Links | All app categories in the US App Store (including games) | Can include external payment links in-app to a web checkout | 0% (Standard App Store commission 15–30% still applies to any purchases made via IAP) | | EU/EEA: Alternative Terms / StoreKit External Purchase Link | All apps on an EU or EEA storefront | External purchases or payments allowed via link-out or third-party processing | If using IAP: 10-17% + 3% processing. If using external purchases: 2% Initial Acquisition + 5-13% + €0.50 CTF per first annual install over 1M | | EEA: Music Streaming Services Entitlement | Music streaming apps | External subscription link or button allowed to your website | Up to ~27% (normal 30% minus ~3% payment processing). EU Alternative Terms fee stack applies if you opt in there instead. | | Netherlands: Dating Apps | Dating apps exclusive to the NL storefront | Alternate in-app payments and/or external link to web purchase alongside Apple IAP | Normal commission minus 3% (e.g. 27% instead of 30%, 12% instead of 15% for small business/long-running subs) | | South Korea: StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement | All apps on the South Korea App Store using a qualifying third-party PSP | Alternate in-app payment providers allowed. Cannot also offer IAP in the same app. | 26% | | Global: Reader Apps (External Link Account Entitlement) | Reader apps (magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video) that let users sign in to access previously-purchased content | One link to your website for account creation and management. Must open in a browser. Cannot offer IAP in the same app. | 0% | | Brazil: StoreKit External Purchases or Offers Entitlement | All apps on the Brazil App Store | Alternate in-app payment processors and/or external link to web purchase alongside Apple IAP. Must present IAP alongside alternatives. | If using IAP: 10–21% + 5% processing. If using external web link: 10–15% (sales within 7 days of link tap). Alternative in-app payments (no IAP processing): 10–21%. | Sources: [US guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#link-to-other-purchase-methods) · [EU guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/support/communication-and-promotion-of-offers-on-the-app-store-in-the-eu/) · [EEA Music](https://developer.apple.com/support/music-streaming-services-entitlement-eea/) · [Netherlands Dating](https://developer.apple.com/support/storekit-external-entitlement/) · [South Korea](https://developer.apple.com/support/storekit-external-entitlement-kr) · [Reader Apps](https://developer.apple.com/support/reader-apps/) ## Google Play Store external purchases guideline Google offers several programs that allow you to use alternative billing systems or link users to external web purchases. Eligibility and fees vary by region and program. | Region/program | Eligible apps | What's allowed for external payments | Commissions/fees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Global: Own Billing (announced March 2026) | All apps | Use your own billing system in-app, or link users out to a web purchase page | Own billing (no Google Play Billing): 20% service fee on new installs; 10% on recurring subscriptions. With Google Play Billing (EEA/UK/US): add 5% billing fee → 25% new installs / 15% subscriptions. This will replace UCB and External Offers programs. Rollout: EEA/UK/US by June 30, 2026; Australia by Sept 30, 2026; Korea/Japan by Dec 31, 2026; Rest of world by Sept 30, 2027. | | User Choice Billing (UCB): Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and EEA | Non-game apps in AU, BR, ID, JP, ZA, UK, US. All apps in EEA, South Korea, India. | Apps can offer users a choice between Google Play's billing and an alternative in-app billing method | If using IAP: 15% for the first $1M/year; 30% above $1M/year. If using external billing: normal service fee minus 4% (e.g. 11% instead of 15%, 26% instead of 30%) | | EEA: Alternative Billing Only (no Google Play Billing in the app) | Apps targeting users in the EEA that want to remove Google Play Billing entirely and use only their own billing in-app | In-app transactions through your own or third-party billing system only. You cannot offer Google Play Billing as an option in the same app. | Standard Google Play service fee minus 3% (e.g. 12% instead of 15%, 27% instead of 30%) | | EEA: External Offers Program (link-out program) | Apps in the EEA that want to promote offers in-app and send users outside the app for purchases | Show in-app promotional units and hyperlinks ('linkouts') that take users to your site or other destinations to purchase digital items or subscriptions | 3% Initial Acquisition fee + 10% (required) Tier 1 service fee + 3%/10% (optional) Tier 2 fee + variable per-install fees. Typical Tier-1 setup is roughly 13% on external sales; Tier 1+2 can reach the mid-20% range. | Sources: [Own Billing announcement (March 2026)](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/new-billing-policy-google-play.html) · [User Choice Billing](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13821247) · [EEA Alternative Billing Only](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14659200?hl=en) · [EEA External Offers Program](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/16505463?hl=en) ## Frequently asked questions ### What's the difference between linking out and using an alternative in-app payment? You have two ways to offer purchases outside the app stores' built-in billing systems. You can use an external link to send people from your app to your website to pay. Or, you can use an alternative in-app payment to put a third-party payment form (like Stripe) right in your app. The rules, fees, and user experience for each are completely different. ### Can you just add a link to your website, or do you have to enroll in a program? You have to enroll in a specific program to get permission. Adding a link to your website for purchases without enrolling in one of the official programs will get your app rejected. For most programs outside the US, you'll need to apply for and be granted a special entitlement from Apple or Google before your app can go live. ### Do you have to offer both native IAP and an external option? It depends on the program. For Apple's program in Japan (MSCA), you're required to show both side-by-side. For Google's User Choice Billing (UCB), the whole point is to give your users a choice. But for Apple's Reader App program and its South Korea program, you can't offer both; you have to pick one. You should always check the rules for the specific program you're enrolling in. ### What is an entitlement and when do you need one? Think of an entitlement as a special permission slip from Apple or Google that you add to your app's code. It unlocks the ability to use these alternative payment features. You'll need to apply for and get an entitlement for most programs outside the US, like the one for dating apps in the Netherlands or for music streaming apps in the EEA. ### How do you show the right payment options in different countries? You're responsible for showing the correct payment UI to the right people. Your app will need to check the device's storefront ID to figure out what country a person is in, then show the payment flow that's allowed in that region. You can't show an external purchase link to someone in a country where it's not allowed. ### What is the Core Technology Fee (CTF) in the EU and Japan? The Core Technology Fee is a fee Apple charges on high-volume apps in certain regions. In the EU, if you opt into the new business terms, you'll pay 0.50 euros for each new install over 1 million in a year. This fee hits you whether your app is on the App Store or an alternative marketplace. It can be a huge, unexpected cost for popular free apps, so you need to do the math. ### For Apple's Reader Apps program, what counts as account management? Your link inside a Reader App has to be for account management only, like signing up or logging in. The link text can't have any pricing, and it has to look like a standard, underlined web link, not a button. Crucially, the link has to open in the phone's default browser, not a webview inside your app. ### Why did your app get rejected for an external link, even if you followed the rules? It's a common headache. The usual suspects are: 1. You didn't use the required disclosure sheet. Before you send someone to an external link, you must show the exact, un-editable pop-up that Apple provides. 2. Your link looked like a button. For some programs, like Reader Apps, the link has to be plain blue, underlined text. 3. The reviewer made a mistake. App Review isn't always consistent. If you're sure you're compliant, you can appeal the rejection and clearly state which program and guidelines you're following. ### What's the difference between Google's User Choice Billing (UCB) and the EEA-only Alternative Billing Only program? User Choice Billing (UCB), available in many countries, means you offer another billing system next to Google Play Billing, giving your users a choice. Your service fee is cut by 4 percent (e.g., from 15 percent to 11 percent). The EEA-only Alternative Billing Only program lets you rip out Google Play Billing completely and use only your own system. Your service fee is cut by 3 percent (e.g., from 15 percent to 12 percent). ### What are the Initial Acquisition and Ongoing Services fees for Google's EEA external offers? It's a confusing, two-part fee. For the first two years after someone installs your app, you pay an Initial Acquisition Fee on any purchases they make on your website (5 percent for subscriptions, 10 percent for anything else). After two years, that fee goes away, and you start paying a lower Ongoing Services Fee (7 percent for subscriptions, 17 percent for other items) for as long as that person keeps using your app. ### How do you get purchase information from your website back to your app? When a purchase happens on your website, your payment processor (like Stripe) tells your server. Your server then needs to update that user's account to grant them their new entitlement. When they open your app, the app checks with your server to see what they have access to and unlocks the right features. This is the server-side logic that RevenueCat handles for you automatically. ### Do you have to report sales you make outside the app stores? Yes. For every one of these programs, you have to report all your sales to Apple or Google. They use these reports to calculate and send you a bill for their commission. If you don't report and pay, your app can be removed from the store, or your whole developer account can be terminated. ## Start testing app-to-web with RevenueCat Web Spin up a web checkout, connect it to your existing subscriptions, and measure everything in one place. [Explore RevenueCat Web](https://www.reveneucat.com/billing)