Patreon’s “Apple tax” is not a blanket price increase. Since 2024, Patreon has been moving new digital memberships and products bought inside its iPhone app to Apple’s In-App Purchase system. Apple’s commission can make the iOS price higher, reduce the creator’s share, or both. Existing memberships, web purchases and most Android transactions are outside this particular charge.
Patreon says Apple required the change to keep its app in the App Store. Apple’s rule generally requires apps that unlock digital content, subscriptions or premium features to use In-App Purchase under section 3.1.1 of its App Store Review Guidelines.
What changed on Patreon?
Patreon’s iOS Commerce purchases began moving to Apple’s payment system in January 2024. New iOS memberships followed in November 2024. When a fan buys a qualifying digital membership or product inside the Patreon app, Apple processes the transaction and charges its App Store commission.
A purchase made on Patreon’s website uses Patreon’s web checkout instead. The route matters: this is not Apple taking a percentage of every Patreon payment, and using an iPhone does not automatically reprice an existing membership.
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Why Patreon says Apple required it
Patreon says Apple required digital purchases in its iOS app to use In-App Purchase and described App Store removal as the consequence of refusing to comply. That is Patreon’s public explanation, not evidence of a separately published, dated removal notice from Apple. Apple’s underlying policy is set out in Guideline 3.1.1, which covers digital content, subscriptions and features unlocked inside apps.
Apple updated its guidelines on May 1, 2025 after a U.S. court decision involving external purchase links. The practical result is not worldwide freedom to direct users out of an app: storefront rules, app entitlements and local requirements still matter. Apple’s announcement is at developer.apple.com/news/?id=9txfddzf.
What “Apple tax” means—and what it does not
“Apple tax” is informal shorthand. It is separate from Patreon’s own platform fee, payment-processing costs and any sales tax or VAT.
- Apple commission: Patreon describes a standard 30% commission on an eligible App Store transaction during the first year, falling to 15% after one continuous year for an eligible subscription.
- Patreon platform fee: New creators who publish after August 4, 2025 generally have a 10% platform fee. Earlier creators may retain legacy pricing under Patreon’s terms. See Patreon’s fee explanation.
- Processing, tax and currency costs: These can still apply regardless of whether the fan pays on the web or through Apple.
Apple’s commission is calculated from the App Store transaction price, not directly from a creator’s earnings.
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How much can an iOS membership cost?
Suppose the web price is $10 and a creator wants to receive $10 before other Patreon fees. With a 30% Apple commission, the required iOS price is:
$10 ÷ 0.70 = $14.29
That is a 42.86% increase, not a 30% increase. A simple 30% markup would produce a $13 price, of which Apple would retain $3.90, leaving $9.10 before other deductions. This illustration excludes Patreon fees, payment processing, taxes, refunds and currency conversion.
Who ultimately pays?
The creator absorbs the commission
The creator can leave the iOS price close to the web price and accept a smaller net payment on purchases processed by Apple. Patreon explicitly describes this as absorbing the App Store fee. It protects price consistency but reduces margin.
The creator raises the iOS price
Patreon recommends pricing that preserves the creator’s earnings. This can create a visible difference between iOS and web prices, and the exact displayed amount can vary with taxes and currency conversion. The lower 15% rate after a year can also make long-running eligible subscriptions economically different from new ones.
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The patron uses web checkout
A fan who pays through Patreon’s website generally avoids Apple’s commission. Patreon says U.S. iOS users can choose mobile-web checkout under the current U.S. rules. Outside the United States, Patreon says fans generally cannot opt out of Apple’s fee when purchasing through the iOS app.
Does the fee affect every Patreon user?
- New iOS digital purchases: These are the main transactions affected.
- Existing memberships: They are not automatically repriced merely because the member uses an iPhone.
- Web purchases: Mobile-web purchases on an iPhone do not incur Apple’s commission.
- Android: Android users are not subject to this Apple commission.
- One-time digital products: Patreon’s Commerce rollout preceded the membership rollout.
- Physical rewards and services: Apple distinguishes digital goods from physical goods consumed outside the app, so a Patreon tier cannot be classified from the platform name alone.
Patreon’s fan explanation is available at support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/27992185537037-How-iOS-in-app-purchases-work-for-fans.
Country and timing differences
| Situation | What Patreon’s current guidance says |
|---|---|
| United States | Mobile-web checkout can be available to avoid Apple’s commission. |
| Outside the U.S. | Patreon says fans generally cannot opt out of the fee when buying through the iOS app. |
| China | Patreon describes a 25% first-year rate and 12% after one year for relevant subscriptions beginning in 2026. |
| Eligible subscription after one continuous year | Apple’s commission is described as falling from 30% to 15%. |
| Existing membership bought elsewhere | Not retroactively subject to the iOS purchase fee simply because the member later uses an iPhone. |
Rates and eligibility depend on Apple’s rules and Patreon’s subscription implementation; the lower rate should not be assumed for every membership.
How patrons can minimize the extra cost
- Compare the price shown in Patreon’s iOS app with the price at patreon.com in a browser.
- If you are in the United States and Patreon offers it, select the mobile-web checkout option.
- Check which account is signed in before completing payment so the membership attaches to the intended Patreon account.
- Keep in mind that a web purchase is managed by Patreon rather than Apple.
External purchases may not appear in Apple purchase history and may not receive Apple’s Family Sharing, Ask to Buy, automatic restoration or “Report a Problem” tools. Apple explains these differences at apps.apple.com/us/iphone/story/id1614232807. You are also trusting Patreon and its payment providers with billing information instead of Apple.
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Patreon says Apple does not permit platforms to tell members to cancel and immediately resubscribe solely to evade App Store fees. Do not cancel an existing membership without checking the specific renewal and access consequences.
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Raise iOS prices
This best preserves per-member revenue, but the difference from the web price may hurt conversion or confuse supporters. A 30% commission requires a 42.86% gross-price increase to fully offset it in the simple example above.
Absorb the commission
This keeps prices closer across platforms, but the creator earns less on Apple-originated purchases while Patreon’s applicable platform fee and other deductions still apply.
Encourage web checkout
Web checkout can improve net revenue, especially for U.S. fans, but leaving the app adds friction and the permitted wording or links can vary by storefront. Creators should not assume a message allowed in the U.S. is allowed everywhere.
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Plan for payout timing
Patreon says an iOS purchase can remain pending in a creator’s balance for up to 75 days. That delay can matter for cash flow even when the headline membership price looks attractive.
Why subscription billing matters in 2026
Apple’s In-App Purchase system is built around recurring subscriptions. Patreon’s legacy options include first-of-the-month and per-creation billing, which do not map cleanly to Apple’s model. Patreon says creators still using legacy billing must migrate to subscription billing by November 1, 2026. Patreon listed September 30, 2026 as the deadline for one-to-one migration help.
This deadline is separate from the original Apple-fee rollout: iOS purchases began moving to In-App Purchase in 2024. Migration instructions are at support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/27992299290637-iOS-in-app-purchases-and-migrating-to-subscription-billing.
What this means for the “cheapest” way to subscribe
For many fans, Patreon’s website is the lower-cost route because it avoids Apple’s commission. That is not a universal legal or pricing rule: availability depends on country, storefront and the specific product. The iOS app may be worth the premium for people who value Apple-managed billing and purchase history. Creators face the opposite calculation—whether conversion and convenience justify absorbing Apple’s cut.
Patreon’s detailed mechanics and regional exceptions are listed in its iOS In-App Purchases FAQ and creator guidance.
The Bottom Line
Patreon did not impose a universal “Apple tax.” Apple’s commission applies mainly when a new digital membership or product is bought through Patreon’s iOS app. The creator can absorb it, raise the iOS price, or—where available, especially for U.S. users—use Patreon’s web checkout instead.
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