Airbnb and ClassPass Claim Apple Wrongly Demanded Commission on Sales of Virtual Classes

Airbnb and ClassPass have claimed that Apple's demand to take a cut of online sales was wrong, reports The New York Times.

merlin 175008315 b71321c6 4491 4190 a975 7fa298305db0 superJumbo

ClassPass helps users to book classes at local gyms, but due to the global situation, they were forced to move their business online and offer virtual classes instead. ClassPass claims that it received a "concerning" message from Apple stating that a 30 percent commission on sales was now required. Apple reportedly explained that long-standing App Store rules entitle it to a significant cut of online sales, although none were required previously because classes were held in person.

With gyms temporarily shut, ClassPass rolled back its usual commission on virtual classes, passing 100 percent of sales directly to gyms. ClassPass explains that Apple was therefore, in effect, asking for a cut of sales from struggling independent fitness centers, yoga studios, and boxing gyms. Instead of complying with the rule, ClassPass pulled virtual classes from its iPhone app.

Airbnb reports a similar experience when it began to offer "online experiences," such as virtual cooking classes and meditation sessions, to respond to the changing demands of customers in recent months. When demanding commission on these online sales, Apple said that it believed that Airbnb had intended to offer virtual experiences for some time, and despite establishing its multibillion-dollar business with the help of its ‌iPhone‌ app, Apple never previously asked for fees. Apple's negotiations with Airbnb are ongoing, but Apple has cautioned that if the two companies cannot come to terms, it may remove Airbnb's app from the ‌App Store‌.

Apple commented that waiving the commission in these cases would not be fair to many other app developers that have paid commission for similar services. "To ensure every developer can create and grow a successful business, Apple maintains a clear, consistent set of guidelines that apply equally to everyone," the company said in a statement. Apple said a small fraction of ‌iPhone‌ apps were subject to its commission, which is in line with the fees other platforms charge, according to a study released by Apple last Wednesday.

Many companies and app developers have recently complained that Apple forces them to pay commission to be included in the ‌App Store‌, which is essential to reach the 900 million potential customers with iPhones. Many complain about Apple's "capricious enforcement" of rules, which can lead to their apps' removal from the ‌App Store‌ and damage to their business.

Both Airbnb and ClassPass have discussed Apple's demands with congressional offices that are investigating how Apple controls the ‌App Store‌ as part of a year-long antitrust inquiry. Tim Cook and various other big tech CEOs are set to participate in an antitrust hearing on Wednesday.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

oneMadRssn Avatar
62 months ago

If you don't like it, then you can leave anytime.
No, you can't. That's the problem. There is literally no alternative to Apple/Google in distributing mobile software. If your business is built on mobile software, then there is nowhere else to leave to.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edgonzalez32 Avatar
62 months ago
That's ****ed up. And you people keep wondering why the App Store is under scrutiny.

Again, it's not the 30%. It's what they keep doing to get get that 30%.

Let me guess, more people disagreeing without offering a point a view? ****ing shocker.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supremedesigner Avatar
62 months ago
I agreed with Apple on this one. It isn't fair to other companies if they are exempted.

If you don't like it, then you can leave anytime.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edgonzalez32 Avatar
62 months ago

Or, you can do what is sensible, create your own web site signup and payment system and then not use a third party which may charge you a fee. Not rocket science here
So they should just advertise that in the app right?

Oh, wait, they can't. Because Apple doesn't allow that.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P-DogNC Avatar
62 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/28/airbnb-classpass-claim-commission-wrong/')

Airbnb and ClassPass have claimed that Apple's demand to take a cut of online sales was wrong, reports The New York Times ('https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/technology/apple-app-store-airbnb-classpass.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage').

Wow, airbnb, that’s very hypocritical of you. I guess you wouldn’t mind if your clients who offer rentals decided that they only wanted to pay you a pittance (or zero) of a commission based on the fees renters pay them. Of course, airbnb, you would claim that your front end guarantees the business that the renters need and helps secure (relatively) safe, violence-free non-criminal guests and that such a front end (read: App Store) doesn’t come cheaply (upkeep costs, etc.). The shoe is on the other foot now. Do as I say, don’t do as I do.

The opportunistic, cowardly predators only “jump into the fray” once the large prey is being attacked by others sharing the same goal. In this case, that goal would be a free ride in a massively profit-generating, safe Apple App Store.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scottsoapbox Avatar
62 months ago
It looks bad when Classpass is waiving fees for the pandemic and Apple wants to add a 30% cut.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)