That’s very real and a real check will be at the end of that little rainbow. Only thing is, you have to agree to the terms of the settlement (like not taking part in any future lawsuits about the App Store commission). I really debated accepting those terms, but at the end of the day it’s unlikely there would ever be a larger settlement. And personally I don’t begrudge Apple the 30% I’ve paid them over the years. Would I like to have it back, absolutely! But for my indie app business that wouldn’t exist without the ease of the App Store, it felt more than reasonable.
The usual caveat applies: I’m not a lawyer and haven’t consulted one. There may be some downsides I’m not aware of. And it does seem like this settlement will be used as a precedent in future cases, which is good for Apple and bad for developers, but the settlement seems poised to go through either way so I’m not sure opting out really does anything meaningful.
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/14/developers-app-store-lawsuit-claim-submissions/
Sweet, thanks @david! I will also submit a claim.
FYI - Partially because Apple reduced their fee to 15%, we’re discontinuing our web app/Stripe strategy. Even via email, we’ll be funneling all users to IAPs via deep links. We’re hoping that not having to sign in or enter credit card will make the 15% worth it. It’s certainly a better UX. Also one less app to maintain for us! Will let you know how it goes : ).