Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Takes Risk By Telling Chinese Chat Apps to Disable 'Tip' Functions
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apple once again out of touch with reality and greedy, unable to adapt. 30% cut on tips? Ridiculous and unethical, Apple just lost the China market.
hi there! apple's already beat you to the punchline
https://www.apple.com/ca/macbook/
https://www.apple.com/ca/macbook-pro/
How is this like IAP? No snark. Genuine question.
what exactly is apple losing from allowing tipping? it's just stirring the nest to maybe make 30 cents on the dollar
What's next, taking 30 percent from money transfers in bank apps?
Where does the greed end?
Where does the greed end?
Wow, Apple, please look at your market performance in China and think about this again.
Also how in the hell is a tip on a messenger IAP-like?
A tip is a tip is a tip is a tip.
Glassed Silver:ios
Also how in the hell is a tip on a messenger IAP-like?
A tip is a tip is a tip is a tip.
Glassed Silver:ios
why am I still supporting this company?
I'm sure that this will be an unpopular opinion with the loudest Mac Rumors users. However, as a developer of one of the most popular social apps in the App Store, I completely agree with Apple doing this. The apps asking for tips say that Apple does nothing, however, those same apps would be nothing without the App Store. Apple takes care of some marketing, distribution (including bandwidth and storage), moderation, oh, and, let's not forget, the frameworks and tools that make it so easy to develop for the Apple ecosystem.
Developers asking for tips through the app are purposefully bypassing the mechanisms meant for this type of thing, in an effort to stop paying Apple. This not only gives them a leg up on the competition, it also bypasses protections that Apple provides to the consumer.
This is the equivalent to an illegal worker taking cash under the table to hide income from the IRS, while still using all of the public services that our tax dollars provide (like public parks, roads, police, fire, etc.). Then, screaming that they shouldn't have to pay taxes because the government didn't do the work. Disclaimer: I'm all for small government, it was just the most relevant example.
Developers asking for tips through the app are purposefully bypassing the mechanisms meant for this type of thing, in an effort to stop paying Apple. This not only gives them a leg up on the competition, it also bypasses protections that Apple provides to the consumer.
This is the equivalent to an illegal worker taking cash under the table to hide income from the IRS, while still using all of the public services that our tax dollars provide (like public parks, roads, police, fire, etc.). Then, screaming that they shouldn't have to pay taxes because the government didn't do the work. Disclaimer: I'm all for small government, it was just the most relevant example.
No, because you're not paying the app developer?
user to user money transfers don't go to the wechat developers, so i don't think you quite follow
No. Apple wants their wallet to be exclusive on their ecosystem. They are not anti-tip. They are pro Applepay and pro Apple arranged micropayments. They all but invented the 99 cent app for goodness sake.article said:
My need is to have all my desires met and be carried around on the backs of 12 beautiful new slave girls each day. If I don't get that, it will be extremely inconvenient for me and I will suffer. And since my "convenience" is an actual need of the utmost importance, it is up to the world to provide me with these things. Get on it, world.
Efficient food, clean air, clean water, and sleep. These are the things a human needs. People can and do live long and even happy lives with only those things and nothing else. The rest of everything else you can imagine, are wants, and the frivolous satisfying of these unnecessary desires, to pamper you and make life convenient, is a luxury. Convincing you they are your actual needs is how we make our millions and finance new fighter jets, but it is not reality. Familiarize yourself with actual suffering.
Yes of course because this is bound to be Tim Cook's personal decision despite everyone else at Apple begging him not to do it.
Sheesh, why all the hate on Tim Cook in every single MacRumors post? He's doing a great job and is arguably the most successful CEO in history. Apple are on track to become the worlds first trillion dollar company and still people post daily about how bad he is. I wish I was 1% as successful as Tim Cook, I'd be a millionaire if I was.
I think this is one of those moves by Apple that they have to do not want to do. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place as they have to be seen to be treating everyone the same and rules are rules.
Apple's 30% is why I stopped developing for their platforms.
They literally do nothing and ask you for 30% of whatever you make. They host your app. That costs fractions of a penny per year. I'd happily host the app myself, but they won't let me (at least not for users that haven't jailbroken their devices).
They literally do nothing and ask you for 30% of whatever you make. They host your app. That costs fractions of a penny per year. I'd happily host the app myself, but they won't let me (at least not for users that haven't jailbroken their devices).
I don't agree with that. A tip is a gratuity. In-App purchases are usually in exchange for something in addition to what a user already has — stickers, features, virtual power, etc.
While I don't agree with this:
because iOS would not even exist without Apple investing millions of dollars each year, I also don't agree that Apple should feel entitled to 30% of a gratuity.
That picture though. Please go check how many features iMessage borrowed from WeChat all these years since the pictured version of WeChat was released.
- iCloud data centres
- iOS updates
- Ongoing Security audits and updates
- bandwidth *
I agree that 30% for _every_ IAP feels greedy, but I also think Apple is entitled to _something_. I wish they would be a bit more flexible.
I stopped using apps like Viber when they increased the sticker prices. Just felt too expensive for something like that, and that struck me as Viber being greedy.
The tipping feature which is the subject of the article is not always paying the app developer, but rather paying content creators. It's akin to tipping people on Snapchat or Facebook for posting good pictures. Sure, the app developer processes the payment and acts as the middle man between the content creator and the tipper, but that is not so different from Venmo or PayPal which process the payments and act as the middleman between the payer and payee.
It sounds like many of you misunderstand the article. This isn't the tip system for tipping waitstaff or sending money to friends, the devolpers are using this as a way to get paid for their apps without having to share revenue, as they would if they charged say, $0.99.
So it's akin to wanting to use Apple's App Store to sell your app, without paying anything to Apple to do so.
So it's akin to wanting to use Apple's App Store to sell your app, without paying anything to Apple to do so.
What about the $650+ for every iPhone sold? What about the fact they charge for iCloud storage (above market prices, by the way)?
I understand that Apple's business model has evolved, and they make money from both hardware sales and transactions in their ecosystem. That is the benefit of being almost entirely vertically integrated, and it's great.
However, they need to more clearly define what qualifies for the 30% cut and what doesn't. Currently, I see in the real world there is some anxiety about this. At small business and entrepreneurship conferences I go to, I hear it often. Folks have an idea, but aren't sure whether Apple will take a 30% cut, and that uncertaintly holds them back. The ecosystem needs clarity.
For example: If I make an app to sell books, Apple does not take a 30% cut. If I make an app to sell services where people pay hourly to have someone read them a book, Apple does not take a 30% cut. If I make an app selling digital downloads of audio books, Apple takes a 30% cut. If I make an app selling stickers themed on popular books, Apple takes a 30% cut. What if I make an app that sells physical books, but each purchase also comes with the digital audio book download. Does Apple take a 30% cut?
This makes no sense. I use Chase quick pay A LOT. The second Apple decides they want a cut (even if it's .0000001%) for every payment I send from the app is the second I'm jumping to Android. And not just for my phone, I'll take my tablet and desktop OS to alternate platforms as well.
So if I promise payment to someone through iMessage / SMS / Chat / Phone, technically Apple is entitled to a cut of the payment? Ha Ha.