Netflix activates button to skip Apple App Store commission

In March, Mansana started allowing some apps to include external links so that the user can choose an alternative subscription in the App Store. Thus, forcing the development company to avoid this fifteen% or thirty% the fees that the Cupertino firm applies to its app store. However, the number of platforms that can perform this process is limited: only those that are considered “readers” or “viewers”. Enter into the equation Netflixwhich has already activated the button for registration and external payment.

From now on, new users can sign up and activate their subscription directly from the Netflix website on their iPhone or iPad. This is essentially what was available before. Nonetheless, the application cannot enable direct access to an external enrollment portal. Just a subscription notification had to be done from the outside and manually. That is, the user had to exit the application, gain access netflix.comactivate the subscription and return to the app to log in with the previously created account.

So the new process is much easier. The user only needs to press the button, allow redirection to an external site – this is done automatically – and register. The app, yes, shows a warning on the screen as the above process will be done. “You are about to exit the application and go to an external website.” This warning comes from the operating system, not from the application.

Netflix wants to avoid 30% App Store fees at all costs

The operating system also communicates that subscription details, including payment methods, they will be managed by Netflix itself, not Apple. “Any accounts or purchases made outside of this app will be managed by the Netflix developer. Your App Store account, saved payment methods, and related features such as subscription management and refund requests will not be available. Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of transactions made with this developer” can be found in the warning that the application issues when activating a subscription.

In any case, as we mentioned earlier, the only way to activate a Netflix subscription is through the company’s own website. Basically it allows the platform avoid 30% commission for each subscription. It’s also not the only app that can do this. Apple’s external link policy assumes that anyone who submits content such as series, movies, books, magazines or music for a one-time or monthly subscriptionsuitable for activating a link that redirects to an external payment process.