Users seem to be advised by the platform to “avoid in-app service costs.”
With each passing day, Apple is put to the test by yet another company. This time, it is TikTok that is being accused of breaking the restrictions that the firm has established for applications. The video platform appears to have allowed some users to acquire its coins straight from its website. The option to “Try recharging on tiktok.com to avoid in-app service fees” has reportedly been made available to select iOS users by TikTok. These fees refer to the thirty percent commission that Apple takes on transactions.
TikTok is reportedly encouraging users to save approximately 25 percent when purchasing coins (which are used to tip creators) as a result of decreasing third-party service fees, as evidenced by photographs that were shared on X (which was formerly known as Twitter) by David Tesler, who is the co-founder of the app Sendit. After that, they have the option of completing their transaction with Apple Pay, PayPal, or a credit or debit card respectively. The reason why only a select few people have access to this circumnavigation is not entirely obvious; however, one possible explanation is that the feature was activated for users who had previously acquired a significant quantity of different coins.
TikTok might get banned from the app store next week
— David Tesler (@getdavenow) April 30, 2024
Why? It looks like they’re circumventing apple fee by directing users to purchase coins via external payment methods pic.twitter.com/VG8ihvsRmv
In 2020, Apple made headlines by removing Fortnite from its app store. This decision was made in response to Epic Games’ decision to offer discounts on the game’s cash to players who purchased it directly. The incident sparked a legal struggle that lasted for several years, and in March, Apple reinstated Epic Games’ developer account when the European Union started looking into the matter. In more recent times, Apple has been confronted with opposition from Spotify, which has resulted in the rejection of updates that would have disclosed the pricing of the music streaming service and enabled in-app plan sales.