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Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

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Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#81
post #9

Absurd. What next, they want a 30% cut from me when I set up automatic payments for my credit card through the banks iOS app?

It's fine for App Store developers to complain about their costs of doing business like any other business. I'm not sure what the point of bringing up nonsensical hypotheticals like bank payments is.

Except this is a clear racket and not a regular cost of doing business. Imagine Microsoft tomorrow deciding to require 30% of even a fraction of things happing on windows. Imagine Apple trying to do this on the Mac. It's laughably anti-competitive and the only reason they're not doing it on the Mac is because it would expose the absurdity of the situation on iOS.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#82
post #69

I like being able to cancel subscriptions from the App Store, it’s a huge advantage because companies will usually try to make it difficult to cancel.

Apple could add an API for 3rd party subscriptions to integrate with that screen. But Apple prefers to insinuate that you either pay them 30% or get scammed, and there is absolutely no option in between.

[flagged]

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#83

If apple was a young startup, struggling to get market share, or struggling to turn a profit, I can understand why they might want a cut of profits here. But they literally have more cash than anyone in the world... why bother with this?!

Ah, but isn't it the other way around? If you are a young startup without market share (but well funded), you don't care about the extra margin. Uber was cheap before it killed the taxis.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#84
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Apples case they changed that several years ago so you can definitely charge your Apple users more. However you will get the app rejected if you show any sign of showing users that you can buy it cheaper elsewhere than the Apple system. You can potentially get away with it by keeping things vague, but even then you might get rejected for “discouraging the in-app purchase system”. This doesnt apply to the EU in whi…

I don't think that's unreasonable - the user found your app through apple. Imagine if I sold tools, and I hung out in Home Depot next to our tools display telling people "hey, if you buy them directly from me, you can save 30%" I can't see that lasting very long.

So if I see an app on TV, go to the app store and download it, somehow I found it through Apple?

No, I very obviously saw it on TV and got it from Apple because that's the only way to install native apps on iOS.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#85

The world where Apple is just completely fine with Apple users paying $13 instead of $10 for a subscription if they do it through an app is an interesting one. Obviously this makes a lot of money for them but when you think about it they must think very little of their customers treating them with disrespect like this. This is how 'Tim Cook's Apple' should be remembered.

Wouldn't Apple users have to pay $14.29 for there to be $10 left after a 30% cut?

Yes: https://twitter.com/KenneyNL/status/1822996361551184290

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#86
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Apples case they changed that several years ago so you can definitely charge your Apple users more. However you will get the app rejected if you show any sign of showing users that you can buy it cheaper elsewhere than the Apple system. You can potentially get away with it by keeping things vague, but even then you might get rejected for “discouraging the in-app purchase system”. This doesnt apply to the EU in whi…

I don't think that's unreasonable - the user found your app through apple. Imagine if I sold tools, and I hung out in Home Depot next to our tools display telling people "hey, if you buy them directly from me, you can save 30%" I can't see that lasting very long.

It's arguably unreasonable in a physical space but this is virtual space we're talking about.

In more open ecosystems like the web browser, you can literally install extensions that tell you where you can buy something for cheaper. I'm sure Amazon, Walmart, and friends would love for that to be impossible.

The virtual space only "belongs" to Apple because they've deliberately walled it off.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#87
post #80

As a longtime YouTube creator who uses Patreon for financial support, the news is terrible: Patreon informed me that all creators must switch to a monthly subscription schedule instead of the per-creation schedule that I and many other currently use. The whole point of per-creation is that it allows me to take time off, and only charge people when I release something, thus incentivizing me, and being fair to my suppo…

If you're able, my artist friend has had a lot of success running their own site and doing their own payments through PayPal.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#88
post #15

Why does Patreon need an app?

I love Apple stuff. I'm all in, iPads, iPhones, AirPods, Apple TVs, HomePods various *Books everywhere. I wish Patreon had more apps. It's a pain to watch videos on my TV. I have to mirror my iPad and keep tapping the screen to keep it from locking and ending the session. But they're being forced to use a payment platform that they don't want to use and have to alter/drop one of their best features to do it. Feels li…

It sounds like the problem is that you're using a combination of devices that makes it unusually hard to just play a video from not-your-TV on your TV.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#89
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Apples case they changed that several years ago so you can definitely charge your Apple users more. However you will get the app rejected if you show any sign of showing users that you can buy it cheaper elsewhere than the Apple system. You can potentially get away with it by keeping things vague, but even then you might get rejected for “discouraging the in-app purchase system”. This doesnt apply to the EU in whi…

I don't think that's unreasonable - the user found your app through apple. Imagine if I sold tools, and I hung out in Home Depot next to our tools display telling people "hey, if you buy them directly from me, you can save 30%" I can't see that lasting very long.

In Patreon's case, I don't think the user found the content "through Apple". The customer found the creator, and the creator said "Pay me through Patreon". The user, only having an iOS based device is now trapped by Apple's restrictions on the transaction, which brings dubious benifits to the table.

Re: Apple's requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon

#90
post #80

As a longtime YouTube creator who uses Patreon for financial support, the news is terrible: Patreon informed me that all creators must switch to a monthly subscription schedule instead of the per-creation schedule that I and many other currently use. The whole point of per-creation is that it allows me to take time off, and only charge people when I release something, thus incentivizing me, and being fair to my suppo…

How can another platform be better about this? Wouldn’t they be subject to the same thing? Or is there some component here that is not tied to the Apple demand?
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