Just a few weeks back, we learned that Apple would be launching an “App Store Small Business Program” that would reduce its fees from 30% to 15% for developers earning less than $1 million per year from the App Store.
That program is starting to roll out now, with Apple opening up the enrollment process just this morning.
Apple outlines the program here, with a few things standing out:
- It’s open to both new developers and existing developers who made less than $1 million this year across all of their apps combined.
- Once a developer surpasses $1 million for the year, the rate goes back up to the standard rate.
- Once the program kicks in after December 31, participating developers won’t be able to transfer apps to/from other accounts — presumably so that people don’t go “Oh, this app is making too much money. Quick, switch it to another account!”. “If you initiate an app transfer after December 31, 2020, or accept a transfer of an app that was initiated after December 31, 2020,” Apple writes, “you will no longer be eligible to participate in program.”
- If you oversee multiple developer accounts, Apple wants you to identify them.
Apple says that if you enroll by December 18, reduced fees should be active by January 1 of 2021. Existing developers can still enroll after that cutoff, but things get a bit more complicated, with reduced fees generally kicking in midway through the next fiscal calendar month.