The Payment Path Matters for Commissions
Apple now allows apps in certain jurisdictions to link to external payment methods — letting users subscribe through your website instead of through the App Store. This policy change has direct implications for affiliate commission economics: web payments bypass most of the app store's cut, leaving more margin for affiliate commissions.
How External Payment Links Work
When enabled, your app can include a link that takes users to your website's checkout page. The user completes payment through Stripe or another payment processor instead of through Apple's in-app purchase system.
Platform fee comparison:
- App Store in-app purchase: 15% to 30% commission to Apple
- Web payment via Stripe: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
The difference is substantial. On a $9.99 subscription, you net $7.00 to $8.49 through the App Store versus $9.39 through web checkout.
Impact on Affiliate Commission Economics
With web payments, your net revenue per subscriber increases by 12% to 27%. This creates options:
Option 1 — Keep commissions the same, pocket the extra margin: Your profitability per affiliate-referred user improves without changing affiliate terms.
Option 2 — Increase commission rates: Use the extra margin to offer higher commissions (25% to 30% instead of 20%), making your program more competitive and attracting better affiliates.
Option 3 — Hybrid commission by payment method: Pay higher commissions when the referred user pays through web checkout (since your margin is higher) and standard commissions for in-app purchases.
Tracking Commissions Across Payment Methods
With users converting through both in-app purchase and web checkout, your affiliate tracking must handle both paths:
In-app purchases: Tracked through RevenueCat/Adapty webhooks or direct store notifications → Insert Affiliate
Web purchases: Tracked through Stripe webhooks → Insert Affiliate
Both paths feed into the same attribution system. The affiliate gets credited regardless of which payment method the user chooses.
Should Affiliates Promote Web Checkout?
Some apps encourage affiliates to link directly to web checkout pages rather than the app store. This makes sense when:
- The user is already on the web (reading a blog post)
- Your web checkout converts well
- The margin improvement justifies the slightly higher friction
Provide affiliates with both options — a link to the app store page and a link to your web checkout — and let them choose based on their content context.
The Conversion Rate Trade-Off
Web checkout typically converts at a lower rate than in-app purchase because:
- Users must enter payment details manually
- The process feels less seamless than Face ID / fingerprint confirmation
- Users leave the app (or never enter it) to complete the purchase
However, the higher revenue per conversion can offset the lower conversion rate. If web checkout converts 30% worse but generates 25% more revenue, the economics may still favour web.
Practical Recommendation
For most apps, offer both payment paths:
- In-app purchase as the default for users already inside the app
- Web checkout linked from affiliate content for users discovering the app through the web
Set commission rates on net revenue (after platform fees). This naturally adjusts commissions based on the payment method — web payments generate higher net revenue, so the same percentage rate produces a higher absolute commission.
Insert Affiliate tracks both Stripe webhook events and app store purchase events, unifying attribution across payment methods. Affiliates see their total earnings regardless of how their referred users chose to pay.