App Developers See Opportunity to Escape Apple Tax

Some app developers are seizing the moment to try to get around the Apple tax.

On May 1, Apple finally succumbed to a court order forcing the company to let U.S. apps link directly to external payment options. The company had resisted complying with the order for nearly four years, and with good reason: It allowed developers to bypass the fee of as much as 30% that Apple collects on many transactions taking place inside iPhone apps. Immediately after the May decision, a slew of app developers sprang into action.