Millions of iPhone users in the United Kingdom could see a reduction in app subscription costs if new proposals from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are implemented. The regulator is considering measures to require Apple and Google to permit app developers to promote cheaper subscription prices and in-app purchases on their own websites, bypassing fees charged through app stores.

Currently, Apple and Google impose commission fees of up to 30 percent on developers for subscriptions purchased via their App Store and Google Play platforms. Although developers have the ability to offer lower-priced subscriptions on their own websites, app store rules prohibit them from informing users of these alternatives or linking to external sites. These restrictions, known as “anti-steering provisions,” limit consumer awareness of potentially less expensive options.

The CMA’s proposals would seek to remove these barriers by compelling the tech giants to allow developers to display alternative prices within their apps and direct users to other purchasing methods. While Apple and Google would still be permitted to charge fees for referrals to external payment systems, the regulator expects these fees to be significantly lower than the current commissions. The CMA anticipates that savings generated by lower fees would be passed on to consumers or reinvested by developers, fostering greater innovation.

Google has indicated it has already taken steps to address the regulator’s concerns, enabling apps downloaded from its Android Play Store to direct users to alternative payment options. Apple, however, expressed opposition to the proposed changes. The company warned that allowing such “steering” could increase user exposure to scams, bait-and-switch tactics, and undermine security features such as parental controls.

Will Hayter, the CMA’s executive director for digital markets, described the intervention as “the best way to introduce some competitive pressure in a vital part of the mobile ecosystem that is otherwise sorely lacking such pressure.”

The proposals form part of a broader regulatory effort by the CMA following its designation of Apple and Google as having "strategic market status" under the UK’s digital markets framework. A decision on whether to enforce the changes is expected later this year.

Separately, the CMA is also reviewing the potential to require Apple to open its iPhone’s contactless payment system to third-party providers. This would allow banks and other firms to offer alternative contactless payment options, circumventing Apple Pay and its associated fees, which some financial institutions, including Santander, have criticized as “excessive.”

The debate over app store commissions and payment system access has drawn support from major developers such as Epic Games, creator of Fortnite, and Spotify, which have long advocated for lower fees and more open platforms. The CMA’s interventions may mark a significant shift in the economics of mobile app subscriptions and payments in the UK market.