In a move that could either clarify or further muddy the waters for Twitter, the social media company has announced that as of today’s launch, Blue Subscription on iPhone will cost $11 to allow Twitter to recuperate the 30 percent commission that Apple takes on in-app purchases.
According to The Information, prior to Twitter pausing its Blue subscriptions, the company had charged $7.99 per month for iPhone users. The price will be increased to $11 per month. Twitter Blue on the web, on the other hand, will cost $7 per month. It’s also been reported that some Twitter employees have already been briefed about the price change.
Additionally, the report noted that the higher subscription cost would let Twitter pay Apple’s required 30 percent commission for in-app purchases without incurring too much cost for Twitter. Interestingly, charging higher Twitter Blue fees on iPhone could lead users to just subscribe on the web. This will allow Twitter to avoid Apple’s in-app purchases commission.
Twitter may be following the same option that other companies have used in terms of Apple’s cut for in-app purchases. Spotify, for example, charges higher subscription costs on the iPhone than on the web. While this strategy may be fine with some customers, others might get confused by the price difference on a device-to-device basis. Apple apparently has no issue with companies charging more on iPhone than on the web.
The relaunched Blue subscription plan includes a verification checkmark. When this was first launched, it led people to impersonate companies, celebrities, and other high-profile Twitter users, provided they paid the $8 subscription cost. Twitter had to pause its Twitter Blue subscription given these actions.
It’s also been reported that Twitter Blue will come with different colored checkmarks upon relaunch. These include gold for companies, grey for government accounts, and blue for individuals, whether or not they are public figures.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer and The Information