Developers App Store apps are allowed to email users about other payment methods

Apple has changed the guidelines for the App Store. App developers are now allowed to request contact information from users, as long as it’s optional. They are also allowed to actively contact customers to point them to other payment methods than via Apple’s payment platform.

The rules are effective immediately, according to a notification of the changes. The combination of the two changes means that app developers can now request contact information from users and then use that contact information for mailings about payment methods other than Apple’s.

Until now, Apple has prohibited developers from making it clear to users in any way that there are other ways to pay for apps and services than through Apple’s payment platform. Apple receives a commission of 15 or 30 percent on this and wants as many apps and users as possible to use the payment platform.

The changes come as no surprise, as Apple had already announced they were coming. It is part of a settlement with various developers. The iOS developers filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple two years ago because they were unhappy with the rates charged in the App Store. The change is not an isolated one: Apple’s business practices in the App Store have caught the attention of many government agencies, who believe the company is abusing its market power.