Been testing direct payment flows instead of going through app stores for our subscription app.
The fee difference is massive - went from paying 30% to Apple/Google down to around 3% with Stripe.
Anyone else made this switch? Implementation was trickier than expected but the savings are worth it.
The implementation headaches are real but those savings add up fast over time.
I switched for one of my apps last year and the conversion rates stayed pretty much the same. Users don’t seem to mind as long as the checkout process is smooth and you explain why they need to go through your site instead of the store.
Did this for a productivity app about 8 months ago.
The savings were huge but be ready for a drop in conversion at first.
First month, we lost about 15% of signups. Users expect the app store flow. A/B testing different messages helped explain the redirect.
What worked best was a small banner saying “Complete signup on our secure site for instant access.” It made the process feel more intentional instead of broken.
We also had to enhance fraud detection since we lost Apple’s built-in protections. But that 27% fee difference pays for a lot of extra infrastructure.
Watch out for compliance issues though. Apple gets aggressive about apps that push users away from their payment system.
I’ve seen apps get rejected or pulled for being too obvious about avoiding the fees. You need to be careful about how you position the external payment option.
Also factor in the customer support overhead. App store payments handle refunds and billing disputes automatically. With direct payments, you’re managing all of that yourself.
Direct payments make sense for saving money.