Apple is raising App Store prices in the UK by more than 25 percent in response to the country’s sharp currency devaluation after the Brexit vote, the BBC reports. Apple raised the prices of iPhones and iPads in the country by a similar margin in September, then upped the price of Macs in October. UK customers will now pay 99 pence for apps that cost 99 cents in the United States, an increase from the 79 pence the same apps cost previously.
The increase also affects in-app purchases, but hasn’t changed subscription charges. “Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business,” Apple said in a statement. “These factors vary from region to region and over time.”
The U.S.
dollar is currently trading at 82 pence, but unlike other App Stores, the UK version’s advertised prices include a 20 percent VAT sales tax. Prices are also going up in Turkey and India, but not by anything approaching the 25 percent hike the UK is seeing. To mitigate the price jump, Apple is giving publishers to option to lower the price of their apps to new 49 pence and 79 pence tiers.
