But it will give users the option to pay through the web for only $7 a month, ‘The Information’ says.
When Twitter’s Blue subscription comes back, it may cost a lot more than before if you purchase it straight from the app. According to The Information, the company informed some employees that it’s going to charge users $11 for Blue subscription if they pay through its iOS application. But if they pay through the web, it will only cost them $7 a month for the service, which includes getting the website’s blue verification badge. As the publication notes, the change in pricing likely takes Apple’s 30 percent commission for payments made through its system into account.
In late November, Twitter owner Elon Musk spoke out against Apple’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases. He also said that the tech giant threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store and won’t tell his company why. A few days later, though, Musk met with Apple chief Tim Cook and resolved what the former called a “misunderstanding.” Musk said the two had a “good conversation” and that Apple never truly considered dropping Twitter from the App Store.
Apple announced in late 2021 that it was going to allow developers of “reader” apps to link to external payment systems following a barrage of criticisms against its practice of taking a 30 percent commission. It’s unclear if the two executives talked about Twitter’s plan to offer Blue subscription outside of the App Store and how the social network would implement its idea.
Twitter originally launched Blue verification for iOS devices in early November for $8 a month, but the company decided to pause the service after it led to an influx of impersonators and fake accounts. When the subscription service does come back, it will come with different colored checkmarks: gold for companies, grey for government and blue for individuals, whether or not they’re a public figure.
Twitter reportedly plans to raise the cost of its Twitter Blue subscription to $11, from $7.99, if paid for through the iPhone app and charge $7 if paid for on the website.
According to The Information, citing a person briefed on the plans, the move was likely a pushback against Apple Inc’s 30% cut on payments made by users via apps on the iOS operating system.
The report said that the lower pricing on the Twitter website was also likely to drive more users there. The Information did not mention whether pricing would also change on the Android platform.
Twitter and Apple did not immediately respond to Fox Business Digital’s requests for comment.
Twitter Blue plan is on halt right now but when it resumes you will have to pay an increased price of $11 per month if you subscribe from iOS, according to a report from The Information.
The report noted that the subscription plan will cost $7 per month if you purchase from the web. But it will be costlier on iOS to offset Apple’s App Store fees. Notably, Apple charges 30% fees to the developers for the first year of subscription, but it drops to 15% from the second year.
When Twitter launched its new subscription plan with a verification mark on November 9, it charged users $7.99 per month. If Twitter were to offset App Store fees, it should charge $10.38 — but the new price change of $11 sounds like a rounded-off figure.
Twitter owner Elon Musk recently went on a tirade against Apple for pausing advertisements on Twitter, alleging them of hating “free speech in America.” Musk also accused the tech giant of threatening to “withhold Twitter from its App Store.” However, after Musk met Tim Cook on a tour of Apple’s Cupertino campus, all things went back to being good and dandy.
Musk told the world that Cook clarified that there was no consideration to boot Twitter off the App Store. Plus, Apple resumed ads on the social media platform. Apple is a big spender on Twitter, as The Platformer reporter Zoë Schiffer noted that the company buys ads worth nearly $100 million a year.
