Brexit

UK jump in App Store prices as Brexit bites

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Image: Stockfresh

18 January 2017

Apple is raising App Store prices by about 25% to reflect exchange rate fluctuations following the Brexit vote in the UK According to 9to5Mac, apps costing £0.99 in the UK, up from £0.79. An app previously priced at the £1.49 tier will now costs £1.99.

In-app purchases will also be affected, for example the All Worlds upgrade in Super Mario Run is going from £7.99 to £9.99. However, subscriptions will remain the same price for the time being. Apple notified iOS developers that the pricing surge will occur in the next seven days.

“Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time,” Apple told the BBC in a statement.

The company is introducing a lower-priced app tier in the UK for developers who want price their apps £0.49 or £0.79. Apple also told developers that price changes will be coming to the Mac App Store, and 9to5Mac speculates that movies and music will soon increase in price in the UK iTunes Store.

UK users won’t be the only ones facing a price hike. Apple has raised app prices in India, Turkey, Romania and Russia, as well. A $0.99 app in the US will be 80 rupees in India, a 33% raise from the previous price of 60 rupees.

In Turkey the price will change from 2.69 to 3.49 lira, which is about 30% higher. Apple also changed the price of App Store apps in Romania and Russia to take into account local fluctuations in sales tax in those countries.

IDG News Service

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