Apple has reached a new agreement with Tencent that will allow the company to process payments and collect a 15% commission on purchases made inside WeChat mini games and mini apps on the iPhone, establishing a major new revenue stream in China after over a year of negotiations, according to Bloomberg. Under the arrangement, Apple will begin handling in-app payment processing for qualifying mini apps and mini games distributed inside WeChat, China's dominant all-purpose mobile platform. Developers participating in the system will need to adopt specific Apple software requirements, including a feature that allows parents to share a child's age range. Unlike users in the rest of the world, most Chinese ‌iPhone‌ users do not access services by downloading separate apps from the App Store. Instead, they use WeChat as a single interface for services, utilities, and entertainment. These functions are powered by a vast network of mini apps contained entirely within WeChat. Purchases made through these mini apps have historically not generated ‌App Store‌ commission because many developers direct users to external payment systems. As a result, Apple's new agreement gives the company a foothold in a major segment of Chinese mobile payments from which it previously received no revenue. While the new 15% commission is half of Apple's standard 30% rate for many ‌App Store‌ transactions, Bloomberg estimates that the size of the WeChat ecosystem makes the agreement potentially worth billions of dollars to Apple. The agreement is expected to be disclosed publicly by the companies at a later date. Tags: Bloomberg, China, WeChat This article, "Apple Reaches Deal to Take Billions of Dollars in China's WeChat" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today announced the App Store Mini Apps Partner Program. The program is designed for developers who host mini apps and games within a larger, native app. Today, we're introducing the Mini Apps Partner Program, which expands on the App Store's ongoing support for apps that offer mini apps. Mini apps are self-contained experiences that are built using web technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript. This program is designed to help developers who host mini apps grow their business and further the availability of mini apps on the App Store — all while providing a great customer experience. Participating developers may benefit from a reduced commission rate of 15% on the sales of qualifying In-App Purchases. To be eligible for this reduced commission rate, participating apps must support certain App Store technologies, including the Declared Age Range API and the Advanced Commerce API in order to help provide a safe and seamless experience for customers of all ages. Participating apps are required to support certain ‌App Store‌ technologies, such as the Declared Age Range API and the Advanced Commerce API. To join the Mini Apps Partner Program, developers must submit a request form. Apple also updated its App Review Guidelines today, adding and clarifying a range of requirements, including the provision that "creator apps must provide a way for users to identify content that exceeds the app's age rating, use an age restriction mechanism based on verified or declared age to limit access by underage users." Tag: App Store This article, "Apple Announces App Store Mini Apps Partner Program" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums