U.S. Court Slams Door on Apple’s Attempt to Stall App Store Fee Crackdown

Apple just got a reality check—the hard way. A federal court shot down the tech giant's last-ditch effort to delay enforcement of a ruling that could dismantle its lucrative App Store fee empire. No more kicking the can down the road.

Judge to Apple: Payday's over. The court's refusal grants a clear win to developers fighting the 30% 'Apple tax'—while Wall Street shrugs and mutters, 'But how will this affect their margins?' Priorities.

One thing's certain: the App Store gold rush just hit a legal speed bump. And for once, the house doesn't always win.

TLDR;

• A U.S. appeals court refused Apple’s request to delay a ruling that stops it from charging fees on external payments linked inside apps.
• Ruling forces Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment options without commissions.
• The decision comes amid Apple’s long legal battle with Epic Games over App Store practices.
• Major app makers are already updating their apps to comply, while Apple vows to keep fighting the ruling.

In a major legal setback for Apple , a U.S. appeals court has rejected the company’s attempt to delay a ruling that forces it to stop charging fees on payments made outside the App Store through links in apps.

Epic Games’ Victory Against Apple

The decision means Apple cannot pause a court order requiring the company to allow app developers to direct customers to external payment options without paying the tech giant’s customary commission. This ruling challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app purchases and marks a new chapter in the ongoing legal battle with game Maker Epic Games.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made clear in its brief statement that after reviewing all factors, it found no grounds to grant Apple’s request for a stay.

Apple’s bid to delay the implementation of the changes while appealing was dismissed, signaling that the company must comply with the lower court’s order immediately. The ruling prevents Apple from charging developers fees when customers use links inside apps to buy digital goods on external websites.

“Apple ‘bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an exercise of our discretion,’” the court said in a filing. “After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate.”

This development is a major blow to Apple’s App Store business model, which has generated billions of dollars through commissions on app sales and in-app purchases. Critics have long argued that Apple’s fees and restrictions amounted to monopolistic practices. Epic Games, the company behind the popular game Fortnite, has been at the forefront of the fight against Apple’s policies. Meanwhile, Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney hailed the court’s decision as a victory, stating on social media that the “long national nightmare of Apple tax is ended.”

Apple’s stay is denied by the 9th Circuit Court. The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended.

May next week’s WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved. pic.twitter.com/f0A3IAVKNC

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 4, 2025

The legal dispute began several years ago when Epic Games filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of anticompetitive behavior. In 2021, a federal judge ruled that Apple must allow developers to LINK out to alternative payment methods, but Apple continued to enforce a 27 percent fee on such transactions, which the court later found to be in violation of its injunction. In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers described Apple’s actions as “willful violations” of her previous orders and referred the company for potential criminal investigation.

Apple has argued that the changes could harm the App Store’s security and user experience, and it has continued to appeal the court rulings. However, the latest refusal to delay the implementation of the order means Apple must stop charging fees on payments made outside the App Store and cannot restrict how developers communicate those options to users.

Developers Update Apps to Bypass Apple Fees

Notably, Major app developers have already begun updating their apps to comply with the ruling. Companies like Spotify and Amazon have introduced new features allowing users to pay for subscriptions and purchases outside Apple’s ecosystem, bypassing the App Store’s fees entirely. This shift could lead to significant revenue losses for Apple, which recently reported that it processed $1.3 trillion in billings and sales in 2024, although 90 percent of those transactions did not generate commission fees.

Meanwhile, Apple remains defiant, promising to continue fighting the ruling through the appeals process.