Spotify Drops All Payments Via Apple App Store. Here Are Other Ways to Pay – CNET [CNET]

Spotify Premium subscribers paying through Apple’s App Store will need to use another payment method to continue listening without ads. 

Spotify hasn’t offered new Premium subscribers the chance to pay using in-app purchases via the App Store for quite a while, but now it’s pulling the plug for legacy subscribers using that payment method, according to multiple reports. Affected subscribers will be moved to a free account (with ads) after their current billing cycle ends and will need to re-upgrade to Premium through the music service’s website.

Spotify and Apple have been at odds over Apple’s App Store policies and fees. In 2016, Spotify opted out of Apple’s in-app payment system, alleging the fees associated with it were unfair. Then in 2019, Spotify filed a complaint against Apple with the European Union, claiming Apple uses App Store rules to smother competition. The complaint led to antitrust charges from the European Commission, which Apple is still attempting to fend off. 

Last year, Apple began allowing some apps to include links to outside payment options as part of a settlement with Japan’s Fair Trade Commission. The tech giant has pointed to the change, which allows app developers to bypass its fees, in its attempt to counter EU arguments. Google, which has also faced criticism over its app store fees, also began allowing Spotify and some other apps to offer their own in-app payment option alongside Google’s Android billing system last year.

Spotify didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional information on the billing change. 

How to pay for Spotify Premium

Spotify Premium costs $10 per month for one account and lets subscribers play any song they want on demand and download and listen to songs offline. It also removes the ads that come with the free version.

People can subscribe on Spotify’s website or through the Android app. Spotify allows you to pay using a credit or debit card, prepaid card, PayPal, or gift card, among other methods. 

Payment methods vary by country or region, according to Spotify. You can get more information about Spotify payments on the company’s support site. 

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