Platform rules for web shops and alternative billing
One row per platform and region: whether a game may link players to a web shop, whether it may use its own billing inside the app, and what the platform charges when it does.
Reviewed 8 October 2026. Download CSV. For the full rule text and history, open the platform’s guide from the first column.
| Platform | Region | Link to a web shop? | Fee on linked purchases | Alternative in-app billing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store | United States | Yes. Buttons, links and logged-in deep links, with only a neutral exit notice | 0% until a court approves a fee. Apple has proposed 15% (10% programs, 5% Small Business Program); no ruling yet | No | Ninth Circuit opinion, 11 Dec 2025 |
| Apple App Store | European Union | Yes | 15% (10% reduced) on sales within 7 days of the link tap, since 1 Oct 2026 | Yes, alongside Apple’s: 20% (10% reduced) | Apple Developer: DMA and apps in the EU |
| Apple App Store | Japan and Brazil | Yes | 15% (10% reduced) on sales within 7 days of the link tap | Yes, alongside Apple’s: 21% (10% reduced) | Apple Developer: app distribution in Japan |
| Apple App Store | South Korea | No | n/a | Yes, in a separate Korea-only build: 26% | Apple Developer: StoreKit External Purchase (KR) |
| Apple App Store | UK and rest of world | No. You may market web offers outside the app, by email for example | n/a | No | App Review Guidelines 3.1.1(a), 3.1.3 |
| Google Play | United States | Yes, through Google’s External Content Links program | 20% (15% Games Level Up, 10% on first $1M) on purchases within 24h of a link click, due since 1 Oct 2026; $3.65 per game install from 1 Dec 2026 | Yes: 20% new installs, 25% existing; fees due since 1 Oct 2026 | Play Console Help: external content links (US) |
| Google Play | EEA, UK, Australia and Japan | Yes, alongside Play Billing | 20% (10% on first $1M) on purchases within 24h | Yes: 20% new installs, 25% existing | Play Console Help: billing choice (EEA, UK, AU, JP) |
| Google Play | Japan (external payments program) | Closed to new apps since 30 Sep 2026; ends after 31 Mar 2027. Enrolled games move to billing choice | 20% (10% on first $1M) on purchases within 24h, for enrolled games | Through billing choice: 20% new installs, 25% existing | Play Console Help: external payments (Japan) |
| Google Play | South Korea and India | No link-out program | n/a | Yes: standard fee minus 4 points | Play Console Help: service fees |
| Steam | Worldwide | No. Store pages may not link to other websites | n/a | No. In-game purchases use Steam’s microtransaction API | Steamworks: microtransactions |
| Epic Games Store | Worldwide | Yes | 0% | Yes. Epic takes 0% on your own payment system | Epic Games Store 2025 year in review |
| Microsoft Store and Xbox | Worldwide | No. Games “must not direct users to a purchase mechanism other than” Microsoft’s | n/a | No | Microsoft Store Policies 10.8.1 |
| Meta Quest | Worldwide | No. Cross-app linking cannot be monetised without Meta’s permission | n/a | No | Meta Horizon app policies |
| PlayStation and Nintendo | Worldwide | No public policy. Terms sit in confidential developer agreements | Not public | Not public | No public source |
Several of these rules are before courts or regulators, including Apple’s US case at the Supreme Court and the European Commission’s review of Google’s EEA fees. Each platform guide marks what is contested.