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Apple opens alternative iOS app marketplaces and payments in Brazil
Apple is introducing alternative app distribution and payment options in Brazil while adding notarization, marketplace authorization and extra protections for younger users.
Apple is changing how iPhone apps can be distributed and monetized in Brazil after reaching an agreement with the country’s competition regulator, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE. The company announced the changes on June 18, 2026, introducing alternative app marketplaces, additional payment options and a new set of safeguards intended to limit the security and privacy risks created by those changes.
The announcement applies specifically to iOS apps in Brazil. It does not remove the App Store or replace Apple’s in-app purchase system. Instead, it gives developers additional routes to distribute apps and sell digital goods or services, while allowing users to continue using Apple’s existing marketplace and payment tools.
Alternative app marketplaces will be allowed
Developers will be able to distribute iOS apps through alternative app marketplaces in Brazil, rather than relying exclusively on the App Store. Apple says those marketplaces must first be authorized and will need to meet continuing requirements designed to protect developers and users.
Apps installed outside the App Store will not receive the same level of review. Apple’s App Review process evaluates apps against broader rules covering privacy, security, functionality and content. Alternative distribution will instead use a baseline review called Notarization. Apple describes this as a combination of automated checks and human review focused on basic functionality and serious threats such as known malware, viruses and other security problems.
That distinction matters for users. Notarization is not intended to be an equivalent replacement for App Review, so an app that passes the baseline process may not have been assessed against the full range of App Store requirements. Users installing from an alternative marketplace will therefore need to pay closer attention to the marketplace operator, the developer’s identity, requested permissions and the source of any payment request.
More payment choices inside iOS apps
Apple is also giving developers new ways to process payments for digital goods and services. An App Store app in Brazil can offer an alternative payment method alongside Apple In-App Purchase, or link users to a website to complete a transaction.
Apple says the two options should be presented clearly so users know whether they are paying through Apple or through another provider. Apple In-App Purchase will continue to provide familiar tools such as refund requests, subscription management and purchase history. Transactions completed through an alternative processor or a linked website may not appear in that history, and Apple says it will have less ability to assist with refunds, fraud or other payment disputes in those cases.
The change also means that users may share payment information with additional companies. That can introduce extra privacy and security considerations, particularly when a website opens outside the App Store or asks for information that was previously handled by Apple’s payment system. Checking the website address, confirming the developer name and avoiding payment links received through unsolicited messages remain sensible precautions.
New business terms for developers
Apple’s updated terms set different commissions and fees depending on how an app is distributed and how a transaction is completed. For apps distributed through the App Store, the App Store commission will be 10 percent for the vast majority of developers, including some developers covered by Apple’s existing programs, or 21 percent for other transactions involving digital goods and services.
Developers using Apple In-App Purchase will also pay a 5 percent payment processing fee. Transactions completed on a website linked from an App Store app will be subject to a 15 percent store services commission, with a reduced 10 percent rate for certain developers and subscriptions after their first year. Apps distributed outside the App Store will be subject to a 5 percent Core Technology Commission on sales of digital goods and services, including paid apps.
These terms apply to iOS apps in Brazil and do not represent a global change to Apple’s distribution model. Apple says developers can begin integrating the new capabilities as part of iOS 26.5, while the App Store and Apple In-App Purchase remain available in the country.
Extra protections for children
Apple is pairing the new distribution and payment options with additional rules for younger users. Apps in the App Store’s Kids category will not include links to websites for completing transactions. For users under 18, apps that use alternative payment processing must include a parental gate, and apps cannot link to websites for transactions.
Apple also says it is working on an API that would allow developers using alternative payments to help parents monitor and approve purchases made outside Apple In-App Purchase. Developers must continue providing age ratings whether an app is distributed through the App Store or an alternative marketplace.
For developers, the update creates more flexibility in how apps reach customers and how digital sales are handled. For users, it creates a more varied iPhone software environment in Brazil, but also one in which the distinction between Apple-reviewed distribution and alternative distribution becomes more important. The practical impact will depend on which marketplaces and payment providers launch, how clearly they disclose their responsibilities and how consistently they maintain the protections required by the new framework.