Developers can now sign up for the App Store Small Business Program

App Store on iPad (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Apple is now accepting applications to the App Store Small Business Program.

Apple has today begun accepting applications to the App Store Small Business Program. Those looking to take part can learn more about the program and sign up (opens in new tab) over on the Apple developer website.

The program allows developers earning less than $1 million per year to enjoy a reduction on App Store fees – they will pay Apple 15% rather than the standard 30% that has been in place since the App Store began.

Enrollment is now open for the new App Store Small Business Program, designed to accelerate innovation and help propel your small business forward. Featuring a reduced commission rate of 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases, this program helps you invest more resources into your business so you can continue building great apps. The vast majority of developers on the App Store who sell digital goods and services are eligible — simply complete a short enrollment form.

Apple also points out that developers must provide details for all of their developer accounts to allow it to confirm they are eligible for the reduction in rates, however.

The App Store Small Business Program is intended for small businesses and individual developers. If your organization controls other Apple Developer Program accounts or is controlled by another account that sells digital goods and services on the App Store, the collective proceeds from these related organizations must not exceed the 1 million USD threshold in order to qualify for the program.

Anyone wanting to join the App Store Small Business Program must apply by 10 a.m. PST on December 18 for the new rates to come into action by the new year.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.