External purchase link entitlement

Also called StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement, link entitlement

Apple's permission, granted on application, that lets an iOS app link to digital purchases on the developer's website in storefronts where steering is otherwise banned.

Guideline 3.1.1(a) says developers “may apply for entitlements to provide a link in their app to a website the developer owns or maintains responsibility for” (Apple). The entitlements are regional. They cover Japan and Brazil, plus narrow cases such as Dutch dating apps and Russia; EU links now run under Apple’s unified EU terms, described below. South Korea’s entitlement is different. It allows a third-party payment provider inside a separate Korea-only app, at a 26% commission, with no web link (Apple).

In the US the entitlement is no longer needed. After the April 2025 contempt ruling, Apple changed the guideline so US storefront apps can include buttons and links without one. The first US version, launched in January 2024, carried a 27% commission.

In the EU the terms changed on 1 October 2026. The separate EU link entitlement addendum gave way to a single attachment to Apple’s developer agreement. Linked web sales within 7 days of the tap pay a 15% store services commission, or 10% reduced, and studios must keep their choice of payment options for 12 months (Apple). See Apple’s EU rules.