NEW YORK – Netflix has decided to stop accepting subscription payments through Apple’s payment system in order to avoid the latter’s 30% fee on third-party payments, reported German news agency dpa.
“Members on the basic plan who were using an iTunes method of payment will now have to pay the company directly using a credit or debit card,” Momo Zhao, a Netflix spokesperson, told the Verge website.
The new decision by the video streaming platform will affect users in countries such as the United States and Canada, according to the spokesperson.
The latest decision comes as Apple charges a commission of 30% on third-party payments. Netflix had dropped iOS users in 2018, citing the same reason, which later prompted Apple to relax the commission for Netflix and several other apps in 2021.
The iPhone maker’s stance to charge commissions has been called “anti-competitive” by many app developers. Last month, the US Supreme Court directed Apple to allow outside payments in an antitrust case between the technology company and Epic Games. – February 28, 2024