If you think about the nature of that latter group, it is arguable that under Apple’s existing rules, if each creative offered their content on subscription via their own iOS app, they would pay nothing at all, as they would not generate a million dollars in sales each year. Patreon, however, generates around 80 cents for each $10 spent in the iOS app, according to its own data.
Assuming that fee exceeds $1 million a year, then it is appropriate for Apple to charge a fee. But even then the impact on the creatives whose content is being subscribed to would come to just 24 to 42 cents out of every $10, which is far more reflective of the actual nature of the exchange.
Complexity, consistency, creativity
While I recognize the need to maintain consistent policies around App Store fees and appreciate the challenges Apple faces, it feels sub-optimal to effectively charge small creatives using Patreon the same 30% fee that large entities generating millions of dollars pay.
