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

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

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Wednesday March 18, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another six months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component...
ios 26 4 pastel

iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

Friday March 20, 2026 2:44 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters. Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or...

Top Rated Comments

KnightWRX Avatar
172 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
172 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)
172 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)
172 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)
172 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)
172 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)