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2025-12-18 22:45:33
Apple Announces Significant Reduction of "Apple Tax" in Japan, Opens Third-Party App Stores and Payment Channels for iPhones! Experts: China is Treated Differently, with Commission Rates Higher Than in the US, EU, Japan, and South Korea. On December 17th, Apple announced on its official website that, in order to comply with Japan's "Specific Smartphone Software Competition Promotion Law," it has opened third-party app stores and external payment channels for iPhones in the Japanese market. This marks Japan as the first Asian country to break Apple's dual monopoly on in-app purchases (IAP) and app distribution through the App Store. Previously, Apple had requested the opening of third-party payments and a reduction in fees based on relevant South Korean regulations, but did not allow services such as third-party app store downloads. Currently, among Apple's four core global markets (the US, EU, China, and Japan), only China remains subject to Apple's dual monopoly; furthermore, China remains one of the countries with the highest commission rates for Apple's in-app transactions globally.
