←back to thread

Apple Announces App Store Small Business Program

(www.apple.com)
830 points todsacerdoti | 2 comments | 18 Nov 20 11:04 UTC | HN request time: 0.411s | source
Show context
jakozaur ◴[18 Nov 20 11:18 UTC] No.25135512[source]▶
Great move!

30% is a case for antitrust given how big Apple App Store today is. 15% seems reasonable, 10% would be ideal.

Though it should be 15% for everybody, no artificial caps. Moreover, I believe once you become a platform there should be an independent nano-courthouse where you can appeal.

Today being rejected by Apple, Amazon, or Google platform is equivalent to the economical death penalty for many individuals.

It should be possible to pay $100 by individuals and appeal to an independent nano-courthouse if the original platform rejects or blocks you. If you win, the appeal fee is refunded and the platform has to cover the cost. If you lose, your $100 is gone.

Fee could be adjusted to your earnings, but basic mechanism should stay the same.

replies(5): >>25135617 #>>25135832 #>>25135840 #>>25135850 #>>25136352 #
aikinai ◴[18 Nov 20 12:02 UTC] No.25135840[source]▶
How do people come up with these arbitrary rates? How is 30% anticompetitive and 15% okay? 30% was standard long before the App Store, so why does Apple have to lower it now that they're the most profitable app platform?
replies(1): >>25135946 #
IshKebab ◴[18 Nov 20 12:19 UTC] No.25135946[source]▶
It's just consensus. 30% seems very large, 15% is tolerable.

I don't think anyone liked 30% before either but anyone that can get away with charging 30% is probably already in a monopoly position so nobody has ever been able to do anything about it. Apple are only change now because of the threat of a lawsuit.

replies(1): >>25136112 #
1. viktorcode ◴[18 Nov 20 12:43 UTC] No.25136112[source]▶
In fact, in 2008 many people liked 30%. Especially those who used to pay ~50% for getting into a mobile carrier store.
replies(1): >>25137734 #
2. latortuga ◴[18 Nov 20 15:24 UTC] No.25137734[source]▶
As someone who graduated from college in 2008 let me tell you that 30% sounded basically like highway robbery to me and soured me on Apple for a lot of years. I refused to buy anything Apple related because I viewed (and still do) that 30% as abusive.

Maybe folks in industry saw it differently but I definitely beg to differ.