Apple to Allow Alternative Payment Systems in South Korean App Store

Apple to Allow Alternative Payment Systems in South Korean App Store

Apple will allow developers to offer alternative payment systems in South Korea’s App Store after the country passed a law banning app store operators from requiring developers to use their own in-app payment systems.

The Korea Herald reports that Apple still plans to charge a reduced fee on purchases made through alternative payment systems.

Apple said it plans to provide an alternative payment system at a reduced service charge compared with the current 30 percent charge, as the tech giant turned in its compliance plans to the Korea Communications Commission (KCC).

The company did not provide the exact date of when the policy will take effect or the service fee to be applied but said it plans to discuss with the KCC on further details.

“We look forward to working with the KCC and our developer community on a solution that benefits our Korean users,” Apple said in a statement.

“Apple has a great deal of respect for Korea’s laws and a strong history of collaboration with the country’s talented app developers. Our work will always be guided by keeping the App Store a safe and trusted place for our users to download the apps they love,” it added.

Google has already announced back in November that it would allow developers to offer alternative ways to pay for in-app purchases in its South Korean Play Store. Google said its fee would drop from 15% for transactions for using Google Play’s billing system down to 11% for transactions via an alternative billing service.