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Comment by baxtr | Hacker News Reader

Imagine for a second distributing an app in 175 countries around the globe including all the tax details. I think it's fair to participate on such a global platform and a price for it.

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The whole issue is about choice. If what Apple is offering you is worth the 30% cut they ask for, you will pay it. If it is not, you should be free to use your own method and take care of the details like tax yourself. Cross platform things anyway have to solve this problem on their own.

Yes, that worked out very well in 00’s with windows mobile. /s

People don’t understand the power of consumer friendly digital experience

> Cross platform things anyway have to solve this problem on their own.

Works out just fine on macOS.

I mean it works but “fine” is a pretty low bar for the point of using computers. I say this as an owner of about $50k of macs in my apartment.

Works fine on Android

We have and continue to distribute apps around the globe without Apple acting as a necessary middle man. It should not be a required service.

Apple apparently believes that whether that's a fair price should be up to the publisher to decide when publishing apps for Android, but it doesn't believe that the publisher should get to decide that when publishing on the App Store.

Agreed!

Google worked hard to set all of this up. Apple should pay Google for using the Google global platform.

30% cut for distribution seems ridiculously high—why not 3% or 0.3% or, best of all, a flat fee? Costs aren't even proportionate to the transaction amount. They don't even allow proper microtransactions which might make the fee make sense compared to processing with a credit card. What differentiates this from extortion?

There is a difference between distributing an app and forcing people the developer to pay for the underlying service it offers.

Especially if you opt to not use any of said platform services.

App distribution != online services. They are two distinct markets.

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