Fees on outside payment methods drew concern late winter of 2026. A collection of seven prominent tech and game trade bodies in Japan spoke out together. Their members add up to over six hundred firms. Instead of staying silent, they pushed back through a shared message. Apple along with Google faced that appeal directly. Stop collecting charges tied to alternate app store payments.
One company pushed back after the rules changed in late 2025. A rule meant to break digital control required opening doors to rival marketplaces. Apple and Google each trimmed their usual cut from apps sold outside their systems.
Instead of just dropping prices, though, they added fresh charges labeled as support costs. These extra amounts range between fifteen and twenty-one percent. What looked like freedom carried a hidden price tag. The conflict grew once developers noticed the shift wasn’t pure generosity.
Fees for handling credit cards push up costs so much that savings vanish, workers point out. Because of this extra charge, firms see little reason to change how they pay, making the new rule seem pointless.
Facing hurdles in Japan, companies look across the ocean where court rulings helped developers bypass tight payment rules. Because of that shift, American creators can now guide users elsewhere something their Japanese peers cannot do as freely. A gap has opened, shaped by different outcomes on separate shores.
Fees help keep systems running, Apple claims, while also guarding against scams. Google points out similar reasons – safety matters, plus upkeep takes resources. Running these networks isn’t free, they both suggest, when threats pop up regularly. Protection costs money, one might notice watching how things work behind the scenes. Support doesn’t appear out of thin air, especially with constant digital dangers nearby.
Now under scrutiny, Japan’s antitrust body may look into the coalition’s claim about unfair fees. Depending on what happens, digital storefronts everywhere might have to rethink their approach.
