On June 30, 2026, Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a proposal that could fundamentally alter how app developers collect payments from UK users. The regulator wants to force Apple and Google to allow developers to steer users toward alternative payment options outside their app stores — a move that strikes at the heart of the commission model that has generated tens of billions of dollars in platform revenue.
For app developers and mobile marketers, this is one of the most consequential regulatory interventions in the history of the mobile ecosystem. If enacted, it would give UK developers something they have wanted for years: the ability to tell users that a subscription might be cheaper elsewhere, without the platform punishing them for it.
What Exactly Is the CMA Proposing?
The core of the proposal is straightforward. Currently, Apple outright bans developers from directing users to off-platform payment options, and Google imposes significant restrictions on the practice. The CMA wants to remove those barriers entirely.
Under the proposed framework:
- Payment steering becomes permitted. Developers can include links or messages in their apps directing UK users to external checkout methods — for example, a web page where a subscription costs less because it avoids the platform's commission.
- Steering fees must be lower than current commissions. Apple and Google would still be allowed to charge a fee for enabling steering, but the CMA says those fees must be "fair, reasonable, and lower than current app store commissions." Any cost savings must be passed on to consumers or reinvested in innovation.
- Fees must be evidence-based. Platform charges for steering access must be "justified through a robust, evidence-led framework involving due reference to both cost and value," according to Will Hayter, the CMA's executive director for digital markets. In other words, the platforms can no longer set arbitrary fees that function as disguised commissions.
- NFC access is also on the table. Beyond payments, the CMA is considering requiring Apple to open its near-field communication (NFC) chip to third-party payment providers. This could allow UK fintech companies to build tap-to-pay features directly into iOS apps, creating genuine competitors to Apple Pay.
The proposal operates under the UK's new digital markets regime, which gives the CMA the power to impose tailored conduct requirements on firms designated with "strategic market status" — a designation already applied to both Apple and Google for their dominance in mobile operating systems and app distribution.
Why This Matters More Than Previous Reform Attempts
The UK proposal is not the first attempt to crack open app store payment rules. But it has several features that distinguish it from earlier efforts — and that should give developers cautious optimism.
The Netherlands Precedent — and Its Failure
When the Netherlands ordered Apple to allow alternative payments for dating apps, Apple complied in the narrowest possible way. The company introduced a fee structure that left the economics barely changed for developers. The alternative payment option was technically available, but financially pointless. The CMA has clearly studied this failure: its insistence that steering fees must be demonstrably lower than current commissions reads like a direct response to Apple's Dutch workaround.
The EU DMA — Ambitious but Complex
The European Union's Digital Markets Act went further than any prior regulation, forcing Apple to allow rival app stores and alternative payment systems across the bloc. The European Commission even fined Apple €500 million in April 2025 for violating anti-steering provisions. But the DMA's structural approach has created a fragmented landscape where new options exist on paper but adoption remains uneven, and Apple's compliance framework still carries per-transaction fees that limit the practical benefit for most developers.
Google Already Moving — A Sign of Momentum
Perhaps the most telling signal is Google's response. Unlike Apple, which has historically fought steering provisions in every jurisdiction, Google stated that it has already implemented changes aligned with the CMA's direction. The company pointed to new Play Store terms introduced earlier in June 2026, which allow developers to steer users to off-platform transactions under a restructured fee model.
Google's new commission structure — which drops the base service fee to 10% for external payments, with no additional billing fee — may serve as a de facto benchmark for what the CMA considers "fair and reasonable." If the regulator uses Google's own terms as a reference point, Apple could face pressure to offer something comparable in the UK.
Apple vs. Google: Two Very Different Responses
The asymmetry in how Apple and Google are responding to the CMA is revealing.
Google is positioning itself as already compliant. The company's argument is essentially: the changes you are proposing, we have already made. This is a strategic move — by claiming alignment, Google hopes to shape the final requirements in a way that matches its existing framework, and to contrast its cooperativeness against Apple's resistance.
Apple has pushed back along familiar lines. The company argues that allowing developers to direct users to external payments undermines user security, increases fraud risk, and limits Apple's ability to verify transactions. An Apple spokesperson said the company could offer comments during the consultation period but did not signal any willingness to embrace the changes voluntarily.
For developers, this asymmetry has practical consequences. On Android, the path to external payments is already opening — Google's new terms are live, and third-party app stores will gain access to the Play Catalog starting July 22, 2026. On iOS, the UK proposal represents one of the most credible threats yet to Apple's closed payment loop, but the outcome remains uncertain.
What This Means for App Developers and Marketers
If the CMA's proposal is enacted in its current form, the implications for app businesses targeting UK users are significant.
Revenue Margin Improvement
The most direct impact is economic. If you can steer UK users to a web checkout, the effective commission on those transactions could drop well below the current 15–30% range. For subscription-based apps, SaaS tools, and digital content platforms with meaningful UK user bases, this is a margin improvement that flows straight to the bottom line.
Conversion Strategy Shifts
Payment steering is not just a billing decision — it is a marketing and conversion challenge. How do you inform users about cheaper external pricing without creating a confusing or fragmented experience? App marketers will need to design in-app messaging, email flows, and potentially even app store listing copy that guides users toward the most cost-effective payment path. This is a new conversion optimization frontier.
ASO and Listing Considerations
If different pricing becomes available outside the app store, your App Store and Google Play listings may need to evolve. Pricing displayed in your listing could create user expectations that conflict with your external pricing strategy — or vice versa. App store optimization strategies will need to account for this new dynamic, particularly for subscription and freemium apps.
Competitive Positioning
Early adopters of external payment steering will gain a cost advantage over competitors who continue processing all transactions through platform billing. That margin difference can be reinvested in user acquisition, feature development, or pricing discounts — all of which compound over time.
What Happens Next: Timeline and Key Milestones
The CMA's proposal is currently in a consultation period. Key milestones to watch:
- Consultation period: Industry stakeholders, developers, and the platforms themselves are submitting feedback. Apple and Google will almost certainly argue that the proposed fees are too restrictive and that steering creates security risks.
- CMA assessment of Google's changes: The regulator has said it will evaluate Google's recent Play Store terms as part of its broader analysis. This assessment could set a precedent for what constitutes acceptable steering fees.
- Final decision — late 2026: The CMA is expected to issue formal requirements later this year. These could be imposed as binding conduct requirements under the digital markets regime, meaning Apple and Google would have to comply or face enforcement action.
The Bottom Line for Developers
The UK CMA proposal is the most carefully designed attempt yet to break the app store payment lock-in — precisely because it learns from the mistakes of earlier reforms in the Netherlands and the EU. The requirement that steering fees be demonstrably lower than current commissions, combined with the evidence-based pricing framework, closes the loopholes that platforms have historically exploited to maintain the status quo.
Whether the final rules live up to the proposal's ambition will depend on enforcement. But the direction is clear: the cost of distributing apps through Apple and Google in the UK is coming down, and developers who prepare now — by building external payment infrastructure, rethinking conversion flows, and monitoring the regulatory timeline — will be best positioned to capture the margin improvement when it arrives.
This is not a distant policy debate. It is a business decision that is being made in real time, and the window to prepare is narrower than most development teams realize.
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