After Toutiao and Zhihu, Weibo decides to compromise with Apple over tipping

Apple’s crusade against the tipping function continues; the company has updated its regulations concerning voluntary in-app tips for content creators, according to TechWeb (in Chinese). Apple stands by its decision that tips are in-app purchases (IAP) and reserves the right to take 30% of each transaction. Applications that refuse to obey the rule may be taken off the App Store

News aggregation app Toutiao and the Chinese version of Quora, Zhihu, have already reached a compromise with Apple, while Weibo Q&A has also agreed to make adjustments. Weibo Q&A’s onlookers function will use the in-app purchase mechanism to enable payments.

Apple’s decision to take 30% of every transaction will have a negative impact on content creators’ earnings which is why Weibo has decided that it will cut its share of revenue from 10% to 5% on iOS devices. Revenue payout will also be postponed since Apple’s payment cycle is between one and three months. Users on Android systems will not be affected by these changes.

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