I believe they mean iOS in-app purchases when they say "ApplePay". Swap the two out mentally while reading, and it makes a bit more sense.
To be honest, I'm very surprised by that mistake, given where it's published – I'd hope that people working on GNU Taler understand the basics of their competitive environment.
Yea, that makes more sense, but still seems incorrect?
Just on my phone, several apps let me subscribe via the Apple AppStore but also by subscribing on their website with a credit card (like Discord, NYT, AllTrails, HBO, etc)
And that’s not even considering that when I pay for an in-app purchase… I’m paying with my credit card. Apple takes their cut, but it’s still my Amex or visa or whatever that I’m using via my Apple account.
It feels like the only viable part of this beef is that apps can’t accept both in-app purchases and alternate payments directly on their iOS app for functionality within the app?
> Just on my phone, several apps let me subscribe via the Apple AppStore but also by subscribing on their website with a credit card (like Discord, NYT, AllTrails, HBO, etc)
This is one of the few historical exemptions from Apple's otherwise ironclad IAP rules for so-called "reader apps".
Still, until very recently, these apps could not even mention that you can buy content/subscriptions on their website for cheaper (or, in some cases like the Kindle app, exclusively buy it there), let alone link to said website.
Now, the landscape is somewhat fragmented: In the EU, thanks to the DMA, external linking to external payment methods is allowed, but comes with a "scare sheet" and still grants Apple a cut of 20%(!). (This is about to change, I believe, but I'm not super up to date on it.)
In the US, developers can now apparently link to external payment sites (in SAfari) without Apple being allowed to charge a commission at all. This is a very recent development, and I haven't seen it in action myself.
Also the core analogy is wrong: If I own the concession rights for an airport, I am absolutely taking a non-trivial commission on every Chipotle burrito and Starbucks latte sold there.
I've just checked 3 different apps which offer premium features. All of them go straight to Apple Pay, without showing any other options.
EDIT: okay, I think get it now. In-app purchases != taking payments in general. E.g. I have different options for payments when using the Amazon app but only Apple Pay when buying a pro version of a metronome app. It's in-app purchases that force Apple Pay.
In-app purchases (ie upgrading an App subscription) are different from purchases in an app (ie buying things on Amazon). Entirely different platforms and structures that have been separate forever.
What's probably happening here is that you are paying Apple using Apple Pay. Apple is the merchant of record for in-app-purchases.
So it's not entirely incorrect (but definitely confusing) to say that the end user is "paying using Apple Pay", but they're paying Apple, not the app vendor.
I believe they may be confusing the requirements. If I understand the App Store rules, you can accept payments from other places but you have included ApplePay as an option too. So, Apple doesn’t restrict you to ApplePay only but that you have to include ApplePay.
I could be mistaken, yes but that was what I remember being clarified with the Epic Games debacle. Epic _only_ wanted to give user only one available option but Apple said they had to give them an Apple IAP option too.
To be honest, I'm very surprised by that mistake, given where it's published – I'd hope that people working on GNU Taler understand the basics of their competitive environment.