I think you missed a key ingredient for Apple's ability to charge 30%: their policies banning developers from referring users to any other payment options in the app or on their website or in communications meant and in many places still means, consumers make an uninformed choice to pay that fee. The extent Apple has gone to to prevent this bubble being pierced suggests it's not actually sustainable without forced consumer ignorance.
nowflux•4m ago
That's a fair point. I would argue that Airbnb/Amazon etc. also stop hosts/sellers from referring users to any other platform or their own websites. So that alone doesn't explain why Apple can charge more than those platforms.
benoau•36m ago
nowflux•4m ago