TikTok circumvents Apple's commission by offering users to buy coins on its site

Popular video platform TikTok is allegedly violating Apple's app rules by offering some users the option to buy their coins directly from its website. TikTok appears to have given some iOS users the option to "try to top up at tiktok.com to avoid in-app fees," i.e. Apple's 30 per cent commission on purchases.

Here's What We Know

According to photos posted on Platform X by Sendit app co-founder David Tesler, TikTok offers users to save around 25 per cent on coin purchases (used to tip authors) thanks to lower fees from third-party services. They can then use Apple Pay, PayPal, or a credit or debit card to complete the transaction. It's unclear why only some users have access to this workaround. One hypothesis is that the feature has been enabled for individuals who have previously purchased large amounts of coins.

Apple previously removed Fortnite from its App Store in 2020 after Epic Games introduced discounts on the game's currency for those who purchased it directly. The incident sparked a years-long legal battle that resulted in Apple reinstating developer Epic Games' account in March after the European Union began looking into the situation.

Apple recently faced a backlash from Spotify and rejected updates that would have displayed the music streamer's pricing and allowed in-app purchases of plans.

Source: David Tesler