Apple has now enabled third-party payment providers for app developers in South Korea

In South Korea, Apple has started allowing app developers to use alternative payment systems, the company announced. To meet a new law in the country mandating that major app stores accept alternative payment options, Apple made the switch. Despite this, Apple still takes a margin from application purchases, albeit with a decreased fee.

Developers must build a unique version of their apps for the Korean App Store in order to utilize alternatives to Apple's own payment system. Apple has authorized four South Korean money transmitters, KCP, Inicis, Toss, and NICE, and any others must be approved by Apple via a request on its developer website. Certain functionalities such as Ask to Buy and Family Sharing will not be accessible, and Apple will not provide support for subscriptions or refunds.

Apple initially contested the law, but subsequently agreed to reduce its typical 30 percent fee to 26 percent. That effectively duplicates Google's Play Store arrangements, which followed soon after the legislation was announced and included a four percent discount on its regular commission.

Following a lawsuit against it by Epic Games over the removal of Fortnite from the App Store, Apple has been subjected to numerous protests. In the US, proposed Senate bills would force Apple to allow app sideloading on iOS and other conditions. Last year, Apple published a 16-page document defending its right to maintain its ecosystem closed.