Image via Apple South Korea
It looks like Apple’s fight against alternative payment methods for the App Store is over in South Korea. Apple Insider says it seems Apple’s giving in and will allow payment methods besides its own in the store. “In September,” says the report:
…South Korea passed a law that would forbid app store operators, such as Apple and Google, from requiring developers to utilize first-party payment systems for in-app purchases.
Now, the piece has Apple indicating that it will go along with the law - though how and when remain mysteries. The piece has The Korea Herald quoting a statement from Apple. That had Apple saying:
We look forward to working with the [Korea Communications Commission] and our developer community on a solution that benefits our Korean users… Apple has a great deal of respect for Korea's laws and a strong history of collaboration with the country's talented app developers. Our work will always be guided by keeping the App Store a safe and trusted place for our users to download the apps they love…
The piece indicates that Apple “will provide an alternative payment system at a reduced service charge as part of [its] compliance plans…” Again though, the hows of the thing are still unknown. “The plans did not provide a date as to when the policy would take effect,” according to Apple Insider, “nor did it disclose what the reduced service charge would be.”
