Apple will let certain apps guide users to websites to make payments, bypassing Apple’s cut

Apple said on Wednesday that certain apps would be allowed to provide a link to their websites to invite users to purchase a subscription.

Apple previously prohibited app makers from asking users to subscribe through a website, for example to sign up for a service like Spotify or Netflix. Instead, developers have been directed to Apple’s own billing, which accounts for between 15% and 30% of gross sales.

The rule does not apply to all transactions through the App Store. Gaming-focused in-app purchases will still need to use Apple’s payment system. But so-called “reader apps” that link to content subscriptions can now offer a service without offering a subscription managed through Apple.

The issue is one of the main complaints from developers who claim that Apple’s App Store has anti-competitive practices. These include Spotify, whose complaint was a factor in the European Union’s decision to say Apple is breaking the competition rules.

Apple said the decision was made as part of a settlement with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, but applied the new rule globally.