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Apple payment warnings aren’t new, says the company. The message appearing next to EU App Store listings that use third-party payment systems has been present for some time.
Several reports recently confirmed that Apple added a warning with a red exclamation mark next to apps. By implication, the company discovered some users were not using Apple’s private and secure payment system. Consequently, the company added the message to discourage users from using external payment methods, as is now permitted under the new EU law, the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Nevertheless, the iPhone maker has affirmed that it has installed these Apple payment warning disclosure screens on the EU App Store since the beginning of Apple’s DMA Compliance Plan in March 2024. Prior to this moment, the EU had issued strict regulations to several tech companies, including Apple.
The concern over the warning screens seems justifiable because of Apple’s recent major court loss to Fortnite maker Epic Games. In the court’s wisdom, it forced Apple to allow app developers in the U.S. to link to external payment options without any restrictions. This contradicts the initial system, whereby Apple would charge commissions for such actions. Dissatisfied with the decision, Apple is appealing that judgment.
Consequently, several individuals likely suspected the Apple payment warnings could have some retaliatory implications on Apple’s part. It is, however, suggested that the company wouldn’t give up on commissions without a fight.
Users’ Inputs on Apple Payment Warnings
TechPolyp finds out that the confusion started from a post that went viral on the X app on Monday. The post revealed an App Store listing for an EU-based app called Instacar, with a message warning users. According to the post, the warning reads: “This app does not support the App Store’s private and secure payment system. It uses external purchases.”
Moving forward, the warning alert similarly points to a link that users can click to “Learn More”. A netizen named Viktor Maric noted that such a time was the first time seeing a thing. Additionally, “Apple will punish the apps with an external payment system.
Some in the mobile developer community endorse Maric’s post by liking it. Similarly, most users run into thousands of X users and are reposted by hundreds. Interestingly, most didn’t care for the message, calling it “malicious compliance” and “entitled” behaviour on Apple’s part.
Apple Warnings: Beyond Opinions
Techpolyp discovered RevenueCat CEO Jacob Eiting’s tweet to confirm the veracity of the period of emergence for Apple payment warnings. In his direct response to Maric, the CEO suggested that the disclosures are EU-only and have been around for a while.
Eiting noted that people are just now noticing these Apple payment warnings because few EU developers wanted to take advantage of the external purchases option. However, Apple critics have called out the company’s DMA Compliance Plan as confusing and filled with “junk fees.” The critics noted that these compliances are meant to compensate for lost commissions on in-app purchases.
Nevertheless, Apple also noted that it intended to update the message after initial pushback. Recall that in August 2024, the company announced a series of changes to its DMA plan. It confirmed that the plan would have included a shift in the user disclosure screen. The company said that, rather than the Apple payment warnings about using external purchases, the new message would have read: “The developer and not Apple support transactions in this app.”
The tech giant claims that the European Commission (EC) did not object to the updated message. However, the EC instructed Apple to hold off on making any changes. Without further guidance, the Apple payment warning screen still lingers.
TechPolyp also recalls that the EC fined Apple €500 million in April 2025 for noncompliance under the Digital Markets Act. However, Apple disagreed with the judgment and appealed the decision.
In other news, Apple faces fresh litigation for false advertising. Will the tech giant emerge victorious or prepare to appeal the ruling again?
