Earlier this year, Apple introduced two alternate pricing tiers, Tier A and Tier B, to the App Store in order to allow developers to charge lower prices in countries like China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey.
As of today, Apple has informed developers that it is making its lower-priced Tier A and Tier B pricing options available in Australia. Tier A and Tier B pricing will allow developers to set prices below the current 1.49AUD minimum price.
The addition of Tier A and Tier B pricing options in Australia comes a few days after Apple raised App Store prices in the country. Earlier this week, the minimum app price in Australia was raised to 1.49AUD from 1.29AUD due to exchange rate fluctuations.
An app that costs $0.99 in the U.S. App Store costs 1.49AUD in Australia at Tier 1 rates, but developers will now be able to charge $0.99 in the United States while charging a lower price in Australia and the other countries listed above.
When Apple notified Australian customers about the rate change, it also let them know that developers would have the option to use Tier A and Tier B pricing options. Apps that previously used Tier A and Tier B pricing will already be cheaper in the Australian App Store.
App Store pricing was also increased in Indonesia and Sweden, and Mac prices have also risen in a number of countries this week.
Top Rated Comments
This is a price hike that will see people in my country in some cases paying 50% more than amercians when taking the exchange rate into account.
I'd much rather pay a developer directly, than deal with Apple's needless padding.
I compared the same app on iOS and Android, and got these results:
Google Play: $16.99
iOS (before hike): $19.99
iOS (after hike): $24.99
How is that justifiable?
Oh, the difference is minor with apps in the old $1.29-6.99 range, but it gets worse as the general app prices increase.
A previously $129.99 app on the Mac App store, is suddenly $159.99.
These lower priced tiers are like sticking a band-aid on a gaping wound, and saying 'It's gonna be okay'.
They picked the absolute worst time to implement these pricing adjustments.
For some time now a lot of the developers apply the 1 USD = 1 EUR rule, or worse.
Glassed Silver:mac