Apple finally blinked. Facing court battles and relentless global regulators, Apple reluctantly allowed U.S. devs to include external payment links in apps. That 30% "Apple tax" instantly dropped to zero for external payments.

Apple didn’t do this by choice. They fought this for over a decade: • 2011–16: Tightened subscription rules, squeezed dev margins • 2019–21: Spotify, EU, and South Korea pushed back • 2021 onward: Courts force Apple’s hand, but they keep fighting.

Now that it's confirmed, Stripe immediately pounced. • Apple’s cut: up to 30% • Stripe’s cut: just 2.9% + 30¢ per sale Results: Fees for app creators dropped 90%. Overnight, billions of dollars shift back to creators.

Stripe made integrating painless too: • Plug-and-play SDK • Accepts 135+ currencies • Supports cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay • Built-in PCI, fraud protection • Even no-code friendly with FlutterFlow

Quick example: Previously, Apple forced you into their limited subscriptions. Now devs can: • Set prices directly • Control promotions/offers • Offer robust self-hosted subscription management (without App Store limitations)

But it's not all perfect. Apple built their "tax" around seamless UX - easy subscription management, refunds in 2 taps. Going external can fragment user experiences, refunds, stability. Devs must offer rock-solid customer support. Think about it. It's another blow for Apple.

In case you didn't know, Apple didn't just give up gracefully. After being asked to remove the 30% fees, Apple complied... But instead charged a 26-27% external "processing fee." Apple obeyed the law’s letter, not its spirit.

Big Tech united against Apple's "fake reforms": Microsoft, Meta, Match, Twitter (X), accused Apple of anti-competitive tactics designed to fail: "Apple’s changes keep control, raise costs, diminish innovation, and hurt users."

Consumers win too, but there are catches: More competitive prices, loyalty schemes, payment flexibility. BUT users lose the security blanket of Apple's centralized refunds and one-tap subscriptions - higher friction and risk.

Apple’s platform monopoly faces unprecedented vulnerability for the first time. This... Does not look good for Apple. Buffett was right again.

A bit bout me: • Former #1 poker player in Singapore (Won $3m) • Acquired 5 businesses • Marketing & AI Agent Nerd I believe: More wealth will exchange hands in the next 10 years than the last 100. Those who embrace AI will get ahead and those who don't... will disappear.

Btw, I'm creating 5-day challenge in May that will help you: "Build & Deploy 5 Agents in 5 Days." To waitlist for it, join the telegram group below: https://t.me/+IlmgUHI84kczZjU1

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