Earlier this year, Apple announced that it would comply with a new law in South Korea that allows third-party payment providers to offer their services in App Store apps.
According to 9to5Mac, starting today, developers can apply to use third-party payment methods other than Apple’s in apps published in the Korean App Store.
IT Home has learned that South Korean regulators passed a new anti-trust regulation in August 2021 that required Apple and Google to allow developers to use third-party payment systems in apps distributed through the App Store and Google Play. Apple subsequently appealed the decision, but ultimately agreed to comply with the law.
Apple has now disclosed more details on how developers can make third-party payment systems available for apps distributed in South Korea. Similar to the situation in the Netherlands, developers who want to use third-party payment methods in Korea must purchase a license using StoreKit externally.
Developers can choose to continue using Apple’s in-app purchase system as needed, but apps with third-party payment methods will require a new version dedicated to the Korean App Store. Apple notes that features such as Family Sharing will not be available in these apps.
Developers will still be required to pay Apple a commission for each revenue made using the third-party payment system, but there will be a 4 percentage point discount. In addition, apps must clearly state that users will be paid through third-party systems that Apple does not support. There are currently four Korean payment providers certified by Apple, including KCP, Inicis, Toss, and NICE.
