Apple’s lucrative App Store business could face another significant change as regulatory pressure in the United States threatens its ability to collect commissions from purchases completed through external payment services.

The company has spent years defending its App Store policies against regulators and developers in several markets. At the centre of the disputes is Apple’s control over software distribution and payments on the iPhone, including commissions that can reach 30 per cent on eligible transactions.

Regulators in the European Union have already forced Apple to open iOS to alternative app marketplaces under new competition rules. Similar challenges to Apple’s established App Store model have emerged in countries including Japan and Brazil.

The situation in the US has developed differently.

Rather than requiring Apple to permit competing app stores, a US court ordered the company to allow developers to direct customers towards alternative ways of paying for digital purchases and subscriptions.

Apple subsequently introduced policies that continued to impose commissions on some transactions completed outside its own payment system. In certain circumstances, the company sought a commission of around 27 per cent, leaving developers with relatively limited savings once external payment processing costs were included.

That approach attracted further scrutiny from the court, with the judge finding that Apple’s implementation did not adequately comply with the original order.

Apple argued that the ruling had not established a specific commission percentage that the company was permitted to charge.

The iPhone maker subsequently proposed a revised structure containing several commission levels depending on the type of developer and transaction.

Under that proposal, standard apps could face a 15 per cent commission alongside a 30 per cent charge for purchases made through Apple’s in-app purchasing system.

Lower rates were proposed for developers participating in selected schemes. Transactions involving Apple’s Video Partner Program, News Partner Program and Mini Apps Partner Program, along with some subscription renewals, could attract a 10 per cent commission.

Developers qualifying for Apple’s Small Business Program could face a rate of 5 per cent under the proposed arrangements.

The larger concern for Apple is that it may ultimately lose the ability to collect commissions from purchases made through external payment platforms in the US.

Apple has acknowledged in regulatory disclosures that changes to App Store rules and legal decisions could have a material impact on its Services operation.

That division has become increasingly important to the company’s financial performance, covering businesses including the App Store, subscriptions and other digital services.

If developers can direct customers towards outside payment systems without paying Apple a commission, more companies could have an incentive to move transactions away from Apple’s infrastructure.

Such a shift could put pressure on Services revenue over coming quarters and potentially affect investor expectations surrounding one of Apple’s major sources of recurring income.

The dispute also illustrates the broader challenge facing Apple’s App Store model. Regulators increasingly want developers to have alternative ways of distributing apps or processing payments, while Apple continues to argue for its right to earn revenue from the platform and services it provides.

With regulatory action progressing across multiple markets, the question is no longer simply whether Apple’s App Store model will change, but how much control and commission revenue the company will retain as those changes take effect.