Faced with inflation and changes in exchange rates, Apple is implementing new pricing options for applications sold on the App Store, so that developers can better adapt prices to different countries.
The tech world is also heavily impacted by inflation, and prices are rising everywhere, whether for streaming services with rising subscription costs or for high-tech products – as a matter of fact. For example, Apple has increased the price of repairing its batteries, the latest Samsung Galaxy S23s have increased by more than 100 euros compared to previous models, and Disney+ prices have increased. And the mobile application stores are no exception either… Indeed, after having increased the price of applications by 20% in October, the App Store has the right to a detailed overhaul and by country of the price lists , as Apple explains on his site.
App Store price upgrades have extended to all types of purchases – apps, in-app purchases and also subscriptions. Now developers can choose from 900 different prices, ranging from $0.29 to $10,000 in the US – and €11,999.99 in France. The purpose of the approach is to allow those who distribute their applications worldwide to “offer more relevant prices to customers”that is to say consistent with purchasing power and the area in which they are offered, managing inflation and exchange rate fluctuations as well as possible. “These options provide greater flexibility, gradually increasing the prices (e.g. every $0.10 up to $10, every $0.50 between $10 and $50, etc.)”, explains Apple – the principle is the same for France. Concretely, it is now possible to refine its price:
- up to €9.99, every €0.10
- between €10 and €49.99, every €0.50
- up to €199.99, every €1.00
- up to €499.99, every €5
- up to €999.99, every €10
- up to €11,999.99, every €1,000.
AT note that, without modification from the developer by May 9, 2023, Apple will modify the price of the products according to the price displayed on the US App Store.
App Store prices: prices that adapt to exchange rates
Already in October 2022, Apple had increased the prices of applications and their in-app purchases in several countries, including France. A decision motivated by the evolution of exchange rates, the euro then falling against the dollar. The rise in prices was made at the global level since, in addition to European countries, Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden and Vietnam – where new local regulations came into force requiring Apple to collect and remit applicable taxes – were also affected. According to new fee schedule, valid for the App Store like the Mac App Store and calculated on the basis of the price excluding taxes, Europe – excluding Montenegro – saw its first level at the – psychological – price of €0.99 disappear to go directly to 1, 19 €, while an application previously offered at 1.19 €, went to 2.49 euros, and so on, until the last step, which went from 999 € to 1,199 € – an increase of 200 euros ! Here are some other examples for reference:
- 0.99 to 1.19 euros
- 1.99 to 2.49 euros
- 2.99 to 3.49 euros
- 3.99 to 4.99 euros
- 5.99 to 6.99 euros
- 6.99 to 7.99 euro
- 8.99 to 10.99 euros
- 9.99 to 11.99 euro
- 20.99 to 24.99 euros
- 39.99 to 47.99 euros
- 99.99 to 119.99 euro
If this increase in prices concerned the applications as well as the purchases which are integrated there, the developers proposing a subscription offer were however exempted from it – they could then keep the price originally offered to their customers. Ditto for subscriptions with automatic renewal.