ActivationPal

Apple Small Business Program: 15% Commission

The Apple Small Business Program lowers Apple's commission on App Store sales from 30% to 15%. Developers earning under $1 million a year in App Store revenue can apply, and the Account Holder enrolls on Apple's developer site.

Apple Small Business Program eligibility

A developer can apply when they earn under $1 million in App Store revenue per year. The person who applies must be the Account Holder in the Apple Developer Program.

How to enroll in the App Store Small Business Program

  1. Sign in to your Apple Developer account as the Account Holder, and accept the latest Paid Applications contract in App Store Connect.
  2. Collect every developer account associated with the account you are applying for.
  3. Open the program page, read the terms and click Enroll. Sign in on Apple's form, which fills in your name, email and Team ID.
  4. Wait for the confirmation email saying your enrollment is being reviewed.
  5. Enter your entry date in RevenueCat, as described below.

Tell RevenueCat your entry date

ActivationPal derives net revenue from RevenueCat's tax and commission estimates, so the 15% rate reaches net revenue and net ARPU only once RevenueCat knows when you joined. The status is set per app, the RevenueCat setup guide covers connecting it, and the ActivationPal homepage shows what the dashboard reports.

In the RevenueCat dashboard:

  1. Select Apps in the project navigation.
  2. Open your App Store app and scroll down.
  3. Expand the Apple Small Business Program dropdown.
  4. Enter the Entry Date. It can be any date in the past or future.

If you applied before December 18, 2020 and were notified of your status by December 30, 2020, enter January 1, 2021.

A past entry date does not re-send webhooks or integration events for transactions that already happened. RevenueCat's own charts recalculate proceeds within 24 hours, so set the date as soon as you are enrolled.

What 15% commission does to net revenue

CommissionYou keep per $100 of sales
30%$70
15%$85
Difference$15

Set the store fee to 15% in the ARPU calculator, the app revenue calculator and your app LTV math.

What happens when you leave the program

Apple sends an email notice when you leave or are removed from the program.

In RevenueCat, enter the Exit Date under the same dropdown. RevenueCat recommends the date Apple sent the email. An Exit Date requires an Entry Date.

After the exit date, set the store fee back to 30% in the calculators.

Frequently asked questions

Who can join the Apple Small Business Program?

Developers who earn under $1 million in App Store revenue per year can apply. The person applying must be the Account Holder in the Apple Developer Program.

How do I enroll in the App Store Small Business Program?

Accept the Paid Applications contract, then click Enroll on Apple's program page and list your associated developer accounts. A confirmation email tells you the enrollment is under review.

Do I have to tell RevenueCat I'm enrolled?

Yes, for each app. RevenueCat sets the program status per app because one account can hold apps from different companies. Once it has your entry date, the reduced rate shows in its charts and in the data it sends to integrations.

Can I backdate my entry date in RevenueCat?

Yes. Past transactions are not re-sent to your integrations with the corrected pricing, so the sooner you set the date, the fewer events are affected.