Apple deferred the requirement to offer paid online group event services through in-app purchase last year in order to support apps amid the Covid-19 pandemic

Amid the ongoing pandemic, Apple has announced not to charge iOS apps providing online classes and group events until December 31, 2021.

The earlier deadline for requiring in-app purchases for such iOS apps was June 30.

Last year, to support apps that adapted services from in-person to digital due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Apple temporarily deferred the requirement to offer paid online group event services through in-app purchase.

Apple cites the ongoing pandemic as its main justification for the change. Helping out small businesses by not taking its traditional 30 percent cut is an example Apple can now use to demonstrate how it encourages small businesses to flourish.

As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, we’d like to support the communities that are still providing digital services in place of in-person group events by extending the deadline further to December 31, 2021, the company said in an update on Thursday.

The new guidelines allow such apps offering realtime person-to-person services between two individuals (for example, tutoring students, medical consultations, real estate tours, or fitness training) to use purchase methods other than in-app purchase.

Apple last year unveiled a new developer programme to reduce the charge by half for small businesses that earn up to $1 million in revenue from January 1, 2021, after facing flak for the App Store’s 30 per cent standard commission for paid app revenue and in-app purchases.

The developers in its new small business programme now receive 15 per cent more from sales of their apps on App Store.

The vast majority of developers on the App Store who sell digital goods and services are eligible for the new programme.

If a participating developer surpasses the $1 million threshold, the standard commission rate will apply for the remainder of the year.