People who had an iPhone or iPad between 2015 and 2024 could be in line for a payout of up to £75, after a judgment found app store prices had been inflated during this time.
Apple was taken to court in a class action lawsuit, which alleged it abused its dominant position in the smartphone market by shutting out competition with the app store, and charging ‘excessive and unfair’ commission.
Academic Dr Rachael Kent claimed users had lost out on £1.5 billion over a ten-year period due to the unfair charges. She brought a case on behalf of 36 million UK customers, as the first female Class Representative in the UK’s collective action regime.
In most cases, 30% of the price of a paid app, subscription, or in-app purchases bought on its app store went straight to Apple as commission, Dr Kent claimed.
Last week, the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) ruled against Apple, saying it had abused its dominant position ‘by foreclosing competition in the iOS app distribution services market and the iOS in-app payment services market’.
Looking at if iPhone and iPad customers had suffered as a result, the judges assessed that around 50% of the overcharge had been passed on to device users.
Apple said it would appeal against the ruling, which it said ‘takes a flawed view of the thriving and competitive app economy’.
A spokesperson said: ‘This ruling overlooks how the App Store helps developers succeed and gives consumers a safe, trusted place to discover apps and securely make payments.’
The charge is only levied on paid apps, so most do not pay the commission. Apple also now charges small businesses 50% less commission.
Can I get a payout?
Potentially, if you had an iPhone or iPad between 1 October 2015 to 15 November 2024, and paid for apps or in-app purchases during that time.
You can check eligibility for compensation by logging into your Apple App Store account and checking ‘Purchase History’ from your account. It is set to the last 90 days by default, but you can change the settings to look back further.
It’s not going to make your fortune, but the judgment says individual users may be able to claim a payment in the region of £27 to £75, depending on how many people come forward.
Although these amounts of relatively small, ‘the aggregate claim for damages is large, ranging from £1.184 billion to £2.237 billion (including interest claimed)’, the judgment said.
A hearing next month will decide how damages are calculated.
Payments are not guaranteed, as Apple intends to appeal the decision, and and an application for permission to appeal will also be considered next month.
‘Monopoly position’
Rachael Kent, the Kings College London lecturer who brought the case, argued Apple had made ‘exorbitant profits’ by excluding all competition for the distribution of apps and in-app purchases.
Users can only download apps via its in-house app store, and her lawyers argued at the start of the trial in January that Apple’s ‘100% monopoly position’ allowed it to impose restrictive terms and excessive commissions on app developers, which Apple denied.
App makers such as Spotify and Epic Games (which makes Fortnite) have publicly criticised Apple for what they viewed as the unfair charges.
The CAT said in its ruling that developers were overcharged by the difference between a 17.5% commission for app purchases and the commission Apple charged, which Kent’s lawyers said was usually 30%.
More class action cases to come
Other major tech companies also face trials over competition.
A case against Google is due to begin in October 2026, looking at the commission it charges developers for access to its Play Store.
It will be heard alongside a similar claim by Epic Games, which is also taking Apple to court in the US.
Amazon and Microsoft are also facing potentially sizeable claims at the Competition Appeals Tribunal.
Dr Kent said in a statement: ‘This is a landmark victory — not only for App Store users, but for anyone who has ever felt powerless against a global tech giant.
‘The Tribunal has confirmed that Apple has been unlawfully overcharging users for more than ten years – and that up to £1.5 billion should now be returned to UK consumers and businesses.
‘Every in-app purchase, subscription, and paid download was inflated by Apple’s anti-competitive practices.
‘Those unfair fees have added up to billions for the world’s richest company, and less choice and innovation for everyone else.’
She added that the ruling shows Britain’s collective action regime is working and ‘sends a clear message: no company, however wealthy or powerful, is above the law’.
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