Apple is preparing to return to the halls of the US Supreme Court, carrying with it a new chapter in its long and heated legal battle against Epic Games. In a recent legal brief, the iPhone maker clarified that it officially plans to ask the US Supreme Court to review another aspect of this thorny case surrounding the financial fees imposed by its App Store.
Urgent legal moves in the courtroom arena
Meanwhile, Apple has been working hard to halt an appeals court ruling that restricts how it can charge fees on external payments processed outside its closed ecosystem. On Monday, April 6, the court granted Apple’s request for a stay, a decision that Epic Games promptly appealed and contested, reflecting the intense tension between the two tech giants.
To recall the roots of this dispute, Apple has been locked in a years-long legal battle against Epic Games, the developer of the popular game Fortnite. This open conflict began when the game developer added external payment options inside its app in 2020, in a bold move aimed at bypassing the 30% fees charged by Apple’s App Store. In response, Apple removed the game from its store, kicking off a series of complex lawsuits.
Partial victories and contempt of court charges
In 2021, Apple secured a major victory in the case when the court ruled that the company does not constitute an illegal monopoly in the app market. However, the judge ruled that Apple must allow developers to include links directing users to external payment options. The tech giant appealed this decision all the way to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case, allowing the original Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to stand.
As a result, Apple began allowing external payments, but imposed a steep 27% commission on those purchases for developers using their own payment systems—a negligible discount compared to Apple’s usual 30% fee. In contrast, Google, which faced a similar case, settled its dispute with Epic Games last month and lowered its Play Store commissions to 20%.
Epic Games argued that such high fees do not comply with the court order, as developers saved no actual money since external payment processing carries its own fees that eat up the minor discount percentage. The US District Court for the Northern District of California agreed with Epic’s view and found Apple in contempt of court.
Apple defends the value of its digital ecosystem
The contempt of court ruling was upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in December 2025. The appeals court stated that Apple’s 27% fee on external payments effectively frustrates the primary purpose of allowing them, though it did not suggest a new percentage. The decision was sent back to a lower court for a ruling. (Apple requested a rehearing on the decision, but its request was denied in March 2026.)
With no other options left within the Ninth Circuit, Apple plans to take its case to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, Apple is expected to challenge the legal standards used to find it in contempt of court and will attempt to persuade justices that courts should not be allowed to restrict the fees it can charge for its services. The company has long argued that the 27% fee is not merely a payment processing fee, but compensation for other integrated services such as hosting, app discovery, software, and developer tools. Fundamentally, Apple believes these fees reflect the true value of its App Store environment.
The future of digital stores in the AI era
However, because the Supreme Court previously declined to hear Apple’s earlier appeal, which focused on a different aspect of the case, it may reject this appeal as well. When this battle is ultimately resolved, the court’s decision could significantly impact the amount of money Apple makes from its digital storefront, especially as consumers increasingly turn to chatbots and AI agents to handle daily tasks.
Commenting on these developments, Natalie Munoz, a spokesperson for Epic Games, described Apple’s stay request as “just another delay tactic to prevent the court from placing permanent and important limits on Apple’s ability to extract unearned fees on third-party payments.” She added: “The courts have repeatedly found this to be illegal. Epic has heard this firsthand from many developers during our efforts to bring web stores and similar features to them in direct competition with Apple. As a result of Apple’s continued tactics, only a few brave developers, including Spotify, Kindle, and Patreon, have been willing to take advantage of this right and deliver benefits to consumers. We will continue to stand firmly against Apple’s attempts to undermine fair competition.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main cause of the dispute between Apple and Epic Games?
The dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games added an external payment system in its hit game Fortnite to avoid the 30% commission charged by Apple on in-app purchases, leading Apple to remove the game from its store and sparking a lengthy legal battle.
How much commission does Apple currently charge on external payment options?
After the courts forced Apple to allow external payment links, the company imposed a 27% commission on these payments, which many developer companies considered an excessively high percentage that discourages competition.
Why was Apple accused of contempt of court?
The district court and appeals court found that Apple’s imposition of a 27% rate on external payments frustrates the core purpose of the court order that forced it to allow alternative payment options, leading to an upheld finding of contempt of court.
How does Apple justify charging a 27% commission on external payments?
Apple argues that this rate is not limited to payment processing alone, but includes the value of integrated services provided by its digital ecosystem, such as app hosting, developer tools, marketing and app discovery, and maintaining user security.
