Apple could be forced to pay up to £1.5 billion to UK iPhone and iPad users over App Store purchases, raising a question for millions of customers: could you be owed money?
The potential compensation follows an October 2025 ruling by the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, which found that Apple had abused its dominant position through unfairly high commissions on paid apps, subscriptions and in-app digital purchases. The case was brought by academic Dr. Rachael Kent on behalf of affected consumers and businesses.
But nobody should expect a payment just yet. Apple disputes the ruling and is pursuing an appeal, while the final compensation arrangements and any individual payouts have not been determined. The £1.5 billion figure is an estimate for the case as a whole, not money already awarded to each customer.
According to the case’s official eligibility guidance, people who bought paid apps or digital content, services or subscriptions through the UK App Store on an iPhone or iPad between October 1, 2015 and November 15, 2024 may be covered. The criteria also include having lived in the UK on May 5, 2022 or November 15, 2024, with some exclusions applying. Purchases of Apple’s own apps are outside the class definition.
The case covers purchases such as paid app downloads and in-app subscriptions, rather than every transaction made using an iPhone. Buying physical goods or services through an app does not automatically count. Customers can review past transactions in their Apple Account purchase history to see whether they made eligible purchases during the relevant period.
The collective action operates on an opt-out basis, meaning qualifying UK customers are generally included without having to sign up. The official claims website says class members do not need to take action at this stage, although they can register to receive updates. No payment amount or distribution date has been announced.
Apple was refused permission to appeal by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in November 2025, then asked the Court of Appeal to hear its challenge. According to the case organizers, the appeal proceedings are expected to be listed between November 2026 and March 2027. Until the legal process advances, any compensation remains uncertain.
The dispute concerns Apple’s App Store commissions and the effect the tribunal found they had on prices paid by UK consumers. It is separate from the £2 billion UK lawsuit over App Tracking Transparency previously covered by The Apple Post, which involves claims on behalf of developers rather than App Store customers.