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Apple Opens iPhone to Alternative App Stores in Brazil—With Fees and Restrictions

Brazil now has a regulated path to alternative iPhone app marketplaces and payments, but Apple authorization, notarization, fees and user-protection trade-offs remain.
From TheFinanceBase Team7 min to read
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Yes. Apple has implemented a Brazil-specific agreement with competition regulator CADE that lets developers use authorized alternative app marketplaces and offer alternative payment options for iOS apps. The changes became available beginning with iOS 26.5 for the Brazilian storefront. This is a regulated opening—not unrestricted sideloading, a removal of Apple’s review requirements, or an end to Apple’s fees.

What changed in Brazil

Apple’s changes implement a cease-and-desist agreement signed with Brazil’s competition regulator, CADE, on December 23, 2025. CADE publicly announced it on January 5, 2026, after investigating Apple’s restrictions on third-party app distribution, required use of Apple’s in-app payment system, and rules limiting developers’ ability to tell users about other ways to pay. CADE said Apple could face a fine of up to BRL 150 million for non-compliance. CADE’s announcement describes the settlement; Apple’s June 18, 2026 implementation announcement and developer documentation explain how the options work.

  • Developers can distribute eligible iPhone apps through alternative marketplaces authorized by Apple.
  • Apps that remain in the App Store can offer an alternative payment processor or direct users to a website for digital purchases, subject to Apple’s rules.
  • Developers can communicate alternative purchasing options, but Apple still requires disclosures and, when an alternative payment option is presented for a digital good or service, simultaneous presentation of Apple In-App Purchase.

The agreement changed the available routes for distribution and payment; it did not eliminate Apple’s role in authorizing marketplaces, notarizing alternative-distribution apps, or charging fees.

When the options became available

  • December 23, 2025: Apple and CADE signed the agreement.
  • January 5, 2026: CADE announced it publicly.
  • June 18, 2026: Apple announced the operational rollout, beginning with iOS 26.5 for Brazil.
  • July 6, 2026: Existing Apple Developer Program members had to accept the updated license agreement to access the new tools and terms.

These rules concern the Brazilian storefront. Apple’s regional documentation specifies iPhone support in Brazil on iOS 26.5 and later; do not assume the same availability for other Apple platforms or regions. See Apple’s regional availability documentation.

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What an alternative marketplace is—and is not

An alternative marketplace is a third-party app-distribution channel that Apple has authorized. The marketplace app is installed from the operator’s website, and it can distribute apps that have passed Apple’s Notarization process. Users cannot simply install any app from any website, and the change does not authorize arbitrary unsigned apps.

Requirements for marketplace operators

Apple’s requirements call for an organization-level operator whose marketplace is primarily intended to discover and distribute iOS apps, distributed through the operator’s own website. The operator must obtain Apple’s Alternative App Marketplace entitlement and meet one of these financial or experience tests:

  • Provide a USD 1 million standby letter of credit, maintained for at least six months after beginning distribution; or
  • Have been in good standing in the Apple Developer Program for at least two consecutive years and have an app with more than one million annual first installations on iOS and/or iPadOS worldwide in the preceding calendar year.

Operators also have obligations involving content, fraud, privacy, intellectual property, moderation, and dispute handling. Apple’s marketplace eligibility requirements set out the criteria. The financial threshold and compliance burden make this a demanding route for small publishers and uncapitalized startups.

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Notarization is not full App Review

Apps distributed through an alternative marketplace must pass Notarization. Apple describes this as a baseline review that checks an app’s identity, capabilities and cost; basic functionality and compatibility; malware and unwanted software; serious safety problems; privacy and unauthorized data collection; and threats to device integrity. It is narrower than the full App Review process, particularly for content, commerce, fraud, and user-safety issues. Apple says it can prevent a notarized app known to contain malware from launching and revoke new installations. Details appear in Apple’s Brazil distribution guidance.

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Alternative distribution also does not support Apple In-App Purchase or other App Store-dependent functionality identified in Apple’s alternative marketplace documentation. Developers need to check service and API dependencies before choosing this route.

How payment choices work for App Store apps

For an app distributed through the Brazilian App Store, a developer may use an alternative processor inside the app or present an out-of-app offer that directs users to a website, with or without an actionable link. When an alternative payment method is offered for a digital good or service, Apple requires its own In-App Purchase option to be shown at the same time. Apple also requires disclosure sheets and child-safety measures. Its Brazil payment-options guidance covers implementation details.

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Alternative payments can change who handles the transaction and its aftercare. Apple says external transactions may not be eligible for Apple refunds, may not appear in Apple purchase history or subscription management, and may require users to deal with the developer or payment provider for support. They may also involve sharing payment information with another company.

Apple’s fees depend on the route

Apple’s Brazil terms separate commissions and payment-processing charges. A headline percentage alone does not show a developer’s total cost. The table summarizes Apple’s published fee signals; the exact applicable combination depends on the app, transaction, program eligibility, and payment route. Consult Apple’s developer fee documentation and implementation announcement for the terms that apply to a specific case.

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Route Distribution and payment Apple fee signal Apple-provided support
Standard App Store Apple App Store; Apple In-App Purchase Apple lists a 10% commission for qualifying Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, Video Partner Program, and News Partner Program transactions, and for auto-renewing subscriptions after the first year. Certain out-of-app offers that do not qualify for a reduced rate are listed at 15%. Apple’s announcement also identifies a 5% additional payment-processing fee when Apple In-App Purchase is used. App Store review, Apple payment processing, refund support, subscription management, purchase history, “Report a Problem,” and Apple’s distribution infrastructure.
App Store with external payment or website purchase Apple App Store; alternative processor in-app or website purchase Apple lists a 15% Store Services Commission on eligible digital transactions completed on a linked website, reduced to 10% for certain programs and qualifying subscriptions. Commission and reporting obligations still apply; do not treat this as a fee-free route. Apple says external purchases may have reduced Apple refund, purchase-history, and subscription-management support.
Alternative marketplace Apple-authorized marketplace; payment arrangement by marketplace or developer Apple lists a 5% Core Technology Commission on sales of paid apps and digital goods or services, including one-time purchases and auto-renewing subscriptions, for apps distributed outside the App Store. Notarization applies, but it is not the full App Review process. App Store-dependent services, including Apple In-App Purchase, are not supported.

The 5% Core Technology Commission is an Apple fee, not the full cost of distribution. Developers and operators may also pay for payment processing, hosting and content delivery, fraud prevention, customer support, refunds, tax collection and remittance, compliance, moderation, marketplace development, and reporting or reconciliation. Whether an alternative route saves money depends on those costs as well as the applicable Apple terms; a lower Apple charge does not guarantee a lower price for users.

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Rules for children and teen users

Apple’s Brazil rules add limits to alternative payment flows:

  • Apps in the Kids category cannot offer an out-of-app link to website purchases.
  • Alternative in-app payment flows in Kids apps must be preceded by a parental gate.
  • Other apps must support parental purchasing controls.
  • Users under 18 must encounter a parental gate before an alternative payment flow, and apps cannot offer them an out-of-app website purchase path.

Apple says additional APIs are planned for a future software update; the published requirements are in its Brazil developer guidance.

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What Brazilian iPhone users should expect

The App Store remains available, with its standard review process, Apple In-App Purchase, refund support, subscription management, purchase history, “Report a Problem,” and discovery infrastructure. Users may gain more choice if authorized marketplaces launch, but external stores and payment providers can have different account systems, policies, and support arrangements. Apple warns that alternative distribution can increase exposure to malware, fraud, scams, privacy problems, and child-safety risks; those are Apple’s stated concerns, not evidence that every third-party app is unsafe.

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There is no verified evidence in the official material cited here that a major competing Brazilian marketplace is already operating at scale. The new technical capability should not be confused with proof of broad consumer adoption. No price reduction is guaranteed either: developers and marketplace operators decide whether savings, if any, are passed on after fees, taxes, and operating costs.

What developers need to do

Access to the new tools requires more than accepting a contract. Apple’s process separates developer access, entitlements, app preparation, and marketplace registration.

  1. The Account Holder accepts the latest Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Existing members needed to accept the updated agreement by July 6, 2026, to access the new tools and terms.
  2. For alternative payments, request the relevant entitlement and follow Apple’s Brazil payment and disclosure requirements.
  3. For a marketplace, an eligible organization requests the Alternative App Marketplace entitlement and meets Apple’s operator requirements. Approval is not automatic.
  4. Submit apps intended for alternative distribution for Notarization using Apple’s Notarization submission process.
  5. Register eligible apps through App Store Connect and, where applicable, its API; select the apps and provide the marketplace token. The marketplace app itself follows Apple’s marketplace app creation instructions.
  6. Plan how the marketplace will receive updates, whether manually or through App Store Connect notifications, and how it will handle support, refunds, tax, fraud, and reporting.

Before choosing a route, developers should model Apple’s applicable fees alongside processor and operating costs, assess user demand, check for App Store-dependent APIs, and decide who will handle payment disputes and customer support. A different distribution channel is a business and operations decision, not simply a switch that removes Apple’s role.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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