Apple Hikes Minimum App Prices In Canadian, EU App Stores
Despite a record breaking year in which Apple's App Store generated more than $10 billion for developers last year, the Cupertino outfit is increasing app prices in select territories. According to the notice Apple has been sending to developers, the price hikes will affect all territories in the European Union, as well as Canada and Norway. Apps in Canada will now be priced at a minimum of $1.19, while they will rise to £0.79 in the UK and €0.99 in the EU.
Iceland will actually see a decrease in prices, while Russia's prices will "change," though Apple didn't say in what way. However, the company did explain that the alterations in price are to account for adjustments in value-added tax (VAT) rates and foreign exchange rates.
"We will simultaneously update the Pricing Matrix in Rights and Pricing in My Apps on iTunes Connect," Apple added. "We will also update the iOS Paid Applications and Mac OS X Paid Applications agreements, which will be available in Agreements, Tax, and Banking."
The folks at AppleInsider surmise that Apple might be trying to balance recent currency fluctuations against preparations for what is expected to be a volatile month for the euro. And while the statement about Russia is as vague as it gets, it's worth noting that an unstable ruble caused Apple to temporarily suspend online hardware sales a month ago.
Iceland will actually see a decrease in prices, while Russia's prices will "change," though Apple didn't say in what way. However, the company did explain that the alterations in price are to account for adjustments in value-added tax (VAT) rates and foreign exchange rates.
"We will simultaneously update the Pricing Matrix in Rights and Pricing in My Apps on iTunes Connect," Apple added. "We will also update the iOS Paid Applications and Mac OS X Paid Applications agreements, which will be available in Agreements, Tax, and Banking."
The folks at AppleInsider surmise that Apple might be trying to balance recent currency fluctuations against preparations for what is expected to be a volatile month for the euro. And while the statement about Russia is as vague as it gets, it's worth noting that an unstable ruble caused Apple to temporarily suspend online hardware sales a month ago.
