Apple becomes a debt collector with its new developer agreement

Apple on Wednesday released an updated developer license agreement that authorises the company to recover unpaid funds, such as commissions and other fees, by deducting them from in-app purchases it processes on developers' behalf, among other methods.

The change will impact developers in regions where local law allows them to link to external payment systems. In these cases, developers must report those payments back to Apple to pay the required commissions or fees.

The revised agreement appears to give Apple a way to collect what it believes is the correct fee if it determines a developer has underreported their earnings. Apple's policies in this area are complex. Still, the change could affect developers in markets such as the EU, the U.S., and now Japan, where developers using external payment systems may be required to pay Apple varying fees or commissions depending on local law. (In the U.S., the legality of these commissions is still being disputed. A federal appeals court earlier this month ruled that a district court should consider allowing Apple to collect some commission, though not the full 27% fee it previously charged.)

In its new developer agreement, Apple states that it will "offset or recoup" any amounts it believes it is owed, including "any amounts collected by Apple on your behalf from end-users." This means Apple could recoup funds from developers' in-app purchases—such as for digital goods, services, and subscriptions—or from one-time fees for paid applications.

Additionally, Apple notes that it has the right to collect this money "at any time" and "from time to time," meaning developers could face unexpected deductions if Apple believes they've miscalculated their obligations.

The agreement doesn't specify how Apple will determine whether it's owed money. The types of developer payments that vary over time are limited and include commissions, fees, and taxes. Among these is the Core Technology Fee (CTF) in the EU, which currently costs €0.50 for each first annual install exceeding one million in the past 12 months. In January 2026, Apple will transition from the CTF to a new fee, called the Core Technology Commission (CTC), a more complicated percentage-based fee. Apple will collect the CTC from apps that use external payment methods or are distributed under its alternative business terms for the EU.

The updated developer agreement also gives Apple the right to collect unpaid amounts from any "affiliates, parents, or subsidiaries" related to the account that owes money. In practical terms, that means Apple could collect revenue from developers' other apps or from apps published by a parent company.

These changes are detailed in Schedules 2 and 3, section 3.4, which focuses on the delivery of applications to end users.

These are not the only modifications to the agreement. Apple is also introducing sections on its age-assurance technology, new terms for iOS apps in Japan, and other requirements.

Notably, Apple is defining requirements for voice-based assistants (such as AI chatbots) activated via the iPhone's side button and is banning recordings made without user awareness. This includes audio and video recordings, as well as screen recordings, which developers often use to identify issues users encounter when navigating apps or to locate bugs.

To be clear, Apple isn't banning these recordings outright. The company is simply adding language that says: "Your Application may not be designed to facilitate Recordings of others without their awareness." How Apple will interpret that rule remains to be seen.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.