Apple to Switch From Dollars to Brazilian Reais for App Store Purchases in Brazil in 2018

[MacRumors]

Starting in early 2018, Apple users in Brazil will pay for purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBooks Store using the Brazilian real instead of the dollar. The Brazilian real will also be used for Apple Music subscriptions and iCloud storage charges.

Apple began notifying users about the change in emails that were sent out today. Once the currency change happens, all new purchases and subscriptions will be charged in reais rather than dollars.

Since the iTunes Store became available in Brazil in 2011, customers have been required to pay in dollars using an international credit or debit card payment.

At one point, the Brazilian government looked into Apple's payment scheme, leading to speculation at the time that Apple was using dollars instead of reais to avoid software taxes that would negatively impact developers.

(Thanks, João!)

Article Link: Apple to Switch From Dollars to Brazilian Reais for App Store Purchases in Brazil in 2018

 

[CarpalMac]

I wonder how the actual cost to the customer may change.
Must be difficult for Apple to pass up the opportunity to slip in a beneficial (to Apple) increase.

 

[oraculo666]

Just a note: The plural of Real is Reais though. Not Reals.

 

[jimthing]

Is the currency prone to large fluctuations against the dollar – either currently or historically?

If so, that may be an additional reason for the previous dollar pricing, so both devs and Apple can stabilise prices and know better what they get in revenue...?

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Is the currency prone to large fluctuations against the dollar – either currently or historically?

If so, that may be an additional reason for the previous dollar pricing, so both devs and Apple can stabilise prices and know better what they get in revenue...?

Brazil has experienced hyperinflation in the past but I believe that was decades ago and has been more stable since (although that may have occurred again at a more muted pace when BRIC countries fell out of fashion on the world stage).

 

[jimthing]

Brazil has experienced hyperinflation in the past but I believe that was decades ago and has been more stable since (although that may have occurred again at a more muted pace when BRIC countries fell out of fashion on the world stage).

Oh I see, interesting to know.

Aren't India & China still much on the the world stage though re. investment? (eg. in regards to Apple, China expansion ongoing, and India making phones and Cook visit etc.) I know Russia is somewhat difficult diplomatically, but Brazil I don't know about?

 

[oraculo666]

Is the currency prone to large fluctuations against the dollar – either currently or historically?

If so, that may be an additional reason for the previous dollar pricing, so both devs and Apple can stabilise prices and know better what they get in revenue...?

Yes, it has been fluctuating but not as much as it did in the past. The main problem for Brazilian customers is that whenever buying something overseas with your credit card, you have to pay 6.38% taxes also. And that was the case until now. Let's see if the prices in Reais will be billed locally.

 

[filipe.esposito]

Apple has just confirmed the prices for Apple Music subscription in reais. It's very attractive.

Apple Music Student Plan: R$8,50 (U$2,58)
Apple Music Individual Plan: R$16,90 (U$5,14)
Apple Music Family Plan: R$24,90 (U$7,57)

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Oh I see, interesting to know.

Aren't India & China still much on the the world stage though re. investment? (eg. in regards to Apple, China expansion ongoing, and India making phones and Cook visit etc.) I know Russia is somewhat difficult diplomatically, but Brazil I don't know about?

I meant it more as the group not being viewed as the next big thing rather than all of them going out of fashion. I should have worded that better.

 

[vlad_djkax]

Apple has just confirmed the prices for Apple Music subscription in reais. It's very attractive.

Apple Music Student Plan: R$8,50 (U$2,58)
Apple Music Individual Plan: R$16,90 (U$5,14)
Apple Music Family Plan: R$24,90 (U$7,57)

Nice.. Spotify (which already charges in Reais) Family plan costs R$ 2,00 more..
I wonder how much a single music will cost. Maybe R$ 3,50?

Yes, it has been fluctuating but not as much as it did in the past. The main problem for Brazilian customers is that whenever buying something overseas with your credit card, you have to pay 6.38% taxes also. And that was the case until now. Let's see if the prices in Reais will be billed locally.

And all the uncertainty about our politics and government isn't helping, either..

 

[Perene]

I made a purchase this week from Notability, it was priced at R$ 32.90. But I first received a charge of R$ 3.00 and only sometime later (it showed PENDING when I looked into past purchases) for the full price of the app (this is what my credit card is saying). I calculated the IOF tax from 32.90 (6.38%) and still does not account for this initial charge (6.38% of 32.90 = 2.09). I am going to make a complaint next week.

I think this charge is illegal under the laws here, because I was not informed in advance. I am seeing the full price for the app is US$ 9.99, so if US$ 1 = 3.20, it should be equal to R$ 31.96. I may even accept a small difference, but not R$ 3.00. It was even reported by local news that we wouldn't be charged anymore for the IOF (6.38%).

It's precisely due to things like this that no one takes this country seriously. I don't blame Apple for making such changes, thanks to a government that is only concerned about exploiting everyone. But do things right, under the Consumer Defense Code (Federal Law 8.078):

SECTION III

Advertising

Art. 36. Publicity must be shown in such way that the consumer will easily and immediately identify it as such.

Sole paragraph. A supplier, in the advertising campaigns of its products and services, will make any documents that give basis to the technical and scientific information displayed available upon request.

Art. 37. Any misleading or abusive advertising campaigns are prohibited.

§ 1. Any information or public communication that is entirely or partially false or is in anyway, even through omission, capable of inducing the consumer to make a mistake regarding the nature, characteristics, quality, quantity, properties, origin, price, and any other information about products and services will be considered misleading.

§ 3. In this Code, misleading information includes failure to mention essential information about the product or service.

 

[Perene]

I contacted Apple and was told this R$ 3.00 charge was for verification purposes, similar to what PayPal does to check if a credit card is valid. That explains why I was only billed later, and not immediately after the purchase. According to them and my bank the R$ 3.00 charge will be removed in the next days.

That's good news, since it confirms we will not have to pay the 6.38% charge for everything we spent from other countries. Every purchase brazilians make using their INTERNATIONAL credit cards from foreign countries (such as the U.S.) also add this IOF tax (6.38%), meaning that in this case I would have to pay R$ 2.09 if the Apple Store was still working like before.