Amazon Expands In-App Purchase API to Mac, PC, and Web Apps

Amazon is continuing its full-frontal attack on Apple's iTunes and App Store platforms, announcing today that it is expanding its In-App Purchase program to include virtual goods and currencies on Mac, PC and Web-based games. Amazon has previously offered IAP for Android and Kindle Fire developers, including the ability to order physical goods from within apps.

amazon appstore angry birds

Further expanding its multi-platform, end-to-end offering for game developers, Amazon today announced a new In-App Purchasing service that enables developers to let customers use their Amazon accounts to purchase virtual goods and currencies from within Mac, PC and Web-based games. With today’s announcement, Amazon now provides In-App Purchasing services for Mac, PC and Web, Android and Kindle Fire developers, enabling them to offer Amazon’s millions of customers a convenient, trusted and secure buying experience.

This isn't the only development in Amazon's digital store efforts. Recently, Amazon optimized its MP3 music store so mobile iOS devices could purchase music directly on the device via Safari.

Apple and Amazon have been dueling in court over the trademark for the "app store" term, with the most recent development sending Apple and Amazon into court-ordered settlement talks.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Tracking Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Expected to Launch This Year With Key New Feature

Sunday August 24, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring. From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades. There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 24, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color." Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo

Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

Sunday August 24, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber. Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
awe dropping event

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe Dropping'

Tuesday August 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out today. The event will start at 10:00 a.m., with select members of the media invited to attend. At the September 2025 iPhone event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. It...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Just Weeks Away: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...

Top Rated Comments

KnightWRX Avatar
164 months ago
So wait, how is Amazon offering a cross-platform payment processing and storage of virtual files a "direct assault on Apple" ?

Seems to me it's just Amazon expanding its offering to developers in order to grab more market share and thus generate more revenues, doesn't seem to be targetting anyone in particular.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rodimus Prime Avatar
164 months ago
And Windows isn't generic for the Windows that open up on the Desktop? Further, "App" could just as easily be viewed as an abbreviation for Apple. Apple itself is a generic term, which is protected by Trademark.

but windows (for windows) on a desktop is not trademark.

Now Windows for an operating system is trademarkable.

For example
OSX is an operating system that uses windows as part of its GUI.
Windows is an operating system that uses windows as part of its GUI.

Windows is not generic for the name of an OS.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yelmurc Avatar
164 months ago
This is actually a smart move by amazon. Giving developers another avenue for discovery of their apps and giving customers and one stop shopping experience. There main issue is to get high quality developers to use it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Terrin Avatar
164 months ago
App is an abbrevation for applications, and is generic = not possible to trademark

App store is a store for selling apps, and is descriptive = not possible to trademark


And Windows isn't generic for the Windows that open up on the Desktop? Further, "App" could just as easily be viewed as an abbreviation for Apple. Apple itself is a generic term, which is protected by Trademark.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marcus-k Avatar
164 months ago
If Amazon can patent "1-Click" then why can't Apple patent "App Store"? If "App Store" is nullified, then "1-Click" should be also... not to mention "Windows".

App is an abbrevation for applications, and is generic = not possible to trademark

App store is a store for selling apps, and is descriptive = not possible to trademark
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mytdave Avatar
164 months ago
hypocrisy

If Amazon can patent "1-Click" then why can't Apple patent "App Store"? If "App Store" is nullified, then "1-Click" should be also... not to mention "Windows".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)