Multiple outlets are reporting shifts in pricing in Apple’s International App Stores, in order to adjust prices to reflect changes in the U.S. dollar. In some markets, prices went up, while in others, prices went down. For example, a $0.99 application in the U.S. is now £0.69, when previously, it was £0.59. Meanwhile, a Japanese app that was 115 Yen is now 85 Yen.
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These prices changes were reported by 9to5Mac, Macstories, The Next Web, MacRumors and others. Countries affected included the U.K., Japan, Switzerland, Mexico, Norway and Australia. It appears the changes took place during the scheduled downtime for Apple’s iTunes Connect, which ran yesterday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PSD.
MacRumors reports the following changes for apps priced at $0.99 USD:
- UK: £0.59 -> £0.69
- Australia: AU$1.19 -> AU$0.99
- Japan: 115 -> 85 Yen
- Mexico: $10 -> $12
- Switzerland: 1.10Fr -> 1.00Fr
- Norway: 6.00Kr -> 7.00Kr
Macstories, in particular had been tracking the iTunes pricing disparities for some time, beginning with this post in January. At the time, it argued that Apple should address the problem of inflated prices (meaning some customers paid more than others for the same content) by re-adjusting the conversion rates in a more timely fashion. “Once a month or even every quarter would do wonders,” read the post, “…and it wouldn’t be too confusing either.”
Clearly, these changes were long overdue.
The question on developers minds now, is how will this affect my sales? In the markets where prices went up, will sales slow down or stall, for example? Will lower prices lead to sales jumps?
If you have apps in International stores (both iTunes and Mac are affected), let us know what sort of trends you see over the coming days and weeks.
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