Fortnite Introduces Direct Payment Option on iOS Despite Apple's App Store Review Guidelines

[MacRumors]

Author: Joe Rossignol

Epic Games today announced that it has introduced a new direct payment option in the Fortnite app for iPhone and iPad, allowing players to purchase 1000 V-Bucks for $7.99 rather than $9.99 through Apple's in-app purchase mechanism.

It is unclear how Epic Games is managing to offer this option, as Apple's App Store Review Guidelines indicate that apps offering in-game currencies must use Apple's in-app purchase mechanism. Apps are also not allowed to include buttons, links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase:

3.1.1 In-App Purchase:
- If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, etc. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.

The direct payment option is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and many other countries.

This is a very exciting standoff: Fortnite’s owner directly challenging Apple’s rules about in-app payments. https://t.co/LfP4UrpUpU

— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) August 13, 2020

Tags: Epic Games, Fortnite

This article, "Fortnite Introduces Direct Payment Option on iOS Despite Apple's App Store Review Guidelines" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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