Tencent responds to Apple (AAPL.US) lowering the commission rate for the Chinese App Store: inspiring the industry

Apple(AAPL.US) will lower the commission rate for mobile phones and tablet operating system commissions in China’s app store. In response, Tencent(00700) official account issued a statement saying: We have noticed that, under the strong promotion of regulatory authorities, Apple has adjusted its App Store commission policy for China, which has stirred great enthusiasm in the industry. This change reflects a response to and respect for the calls of Chinese users and the broad community of developers, and is a positive signal to support the healthy development of the digital ecosystem. For Tencent and all developers, a more open, win-win platform environment is on the way, which will help ignite innovation, and drive the continued prosperity of the technology application ecosystem. Thanks to this, we will, as always, work together with partners across all sectors to jointly provide users with better products and services.

According to Apple’s developer official website, the standard commission rate for in-app purchases and paid apps on Apple will be reduced from the current 30% to 25%. Under the App Store Small Business Program(App Store Small Business Program) and the Mini Apps Partner Program(Mini Apps Partner Program), the commission rate for eligible in-app purchases on Apple Apps and the commission rate for automatic renewal subscriptions after the first year will be reduced from the current 15% to 12%. This adjustment will take effect starting March 15, 2026, and developers do not need to re-sign the terms.

Apple stated that it is committed to maintaining fair and transparent terms for all developers and will always provide App Store fee rates that are no higher than the overall fee levels in other markets for developers distributing apps in China.