Apple has announced that App Store prices are about to go up in various regions worldwide. The most notable area is the European Union, which will see price hikes in all the countries that use the euro. Other significant markets will also see similar App Store price changes, including Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, and Vietnam.
Apple explained the new App Store prices via a short announcement on the Developer website.
The price hikes will take effect starting October 5th. The changes concern standalone apps and in-app purchases. Auto-renewable subscriptions are excluded from the price increase.
Apple explains that the App Store prices will go up in Vietnam following new regulations in the country. The company has to collect and remit applicable taxes: “value added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax (CIT) at 5% rates respectively.”
Apple only explains the price increases for Vietnam without offering any details about the many other countries that will see higher App Store prices next month.
The simplest explanation for the price hike is the current global economy and the strength of the dollar. The dollar reached parity with the euro in late August. As a result, Apple raised prices for hardware in Europe. This means new devices like the iPhone 14 cost more than the iPhone 13 did last year, even though US pricing stayed the same.
Apple also provided developers with documentation showing updated App Store prices. For example, apps costing €1 will now have a €1.19 price tag. The €5 tier goes to €5.99, and €10 apps will cost €11.99. There is one exception to the new App Store prices tiers in the EU, Montenegro.
This document shows all the price tier changes for the countries that will see App Store price increases.
Apple also informed developers that once the changes go into effect, the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps will be updated. Developers can change the prices of apps, in-app purchases, and auto-renewable subscriptions at any time, regardless of the App Store price hikes.
But they can also keep current subscription prices in place for existing subscribers.
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