Operating an alternative app marketplace in Japan

In iOS 26.2 and later, developers can build an alternative app marketplace to distribute notarized apps. Based on specific criteria and ongoing requirements that help protect users and developers, authorization from Apple is required to operate an alternative app marketplace. Authorized developers have access to marketplace capabilities that enable them to securely receive notarized apps from other Apple Developer Program members, allow users to download and install marketplace apps from the their website, integrate with system functionality, back up and restore users’ apps, and more.

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Get started with an entitlement request

Operating an alternative app marketplace requires significant responsibility and oversight of the user experience, including content guidelines and moderation processes, anti-fraud measures to prevent scams, transparent data collection policies, and the ability to manage payment disputes and refunds. To uphold user experience standards, Apple will authorize marketplace developers through the Alternative App Marketplace Entitlement to distribute a dedicated marketplace iOS app after meeting specific criteria and committing to ongoing requirements that help protect users and developers.

If you’re interested in becoming a marketplace developer in Japan, the Account Holder of your Apple Developer Program membership will first need to agree to the latest version of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Once they’ve agreed, they can submit a request for the entitlement.

To qualify for the entitlement, you must:

• Be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program as an organization.
• Agree to build an app whose primary purpose is discovery and distribution of other notarized apps.
• Agree to provide and publish terms (if your marketplace distributes other developers’ apps), including those pertaining to content and business model, for any apps you will distribute, and accept apps that meet those terms.
• Agree to publish transparent data collection policies and offer users control over how their data is collected and used.
• Agree to follow applicable laws of the jurisdictions where you operate.
• Agree to be responsible for handling governmental and other requests to take down listings of apps in your alternative app marketplace.
• Agree to engage in ongoing monitoring and detection of fraudulent, malicious, or illegal apps, activity in apps, or developers in your alternative app marketplace.
• Agree to not distribute any apps that infringe the intellectual property of others, including Apple.
• Agree to implement a mechanism for reviewing other developers’ apps for intellectual property infringement prior to distributing them through your alternative app marketplace.
• Agree to provide a process to handle intellectual property disputes related to your alternative app marketplace or apps in your alternative app marketplace.
• Do either of the following: (1) Provide Apple with a standby letter of credit in the amount of USD 1,000,000 (or the equivalent in local currency) from a financial institution rated "BBB-" or higher by S&P, Fitch, or Moody’s. This standby letter of credit must be maintained for at least 6 months after your marketplace begins distributing apps to customers; or (2) be a member of good standing in the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more, and have an app that had more than one million first annual installs worldwide on iOS in the prior calendar year.

Note: If you’ve been approved to operate an alternative app marketplace in the European Union, you’re still required to submit a request to operate your marketplace in Japan. However, if you’ve already provided a standby letter of credit to Apple, you are not required to provide a new standby letter of credit.

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Build and maintain an alternative app marketplace

If your entitlement request is approved and the entitlement is assigned to your developer account, you can start to build and test your marketplace components.

• Creating an alternative app marketplace
• MarketplaceKit
• App Store Connect Help: Create a marketplace app
• Requesting portability of data for users

Developer and user support

When using this entitlement, it will be your responsibility to protect developers and users by publishing transparent data collection policies and offer users control over how their data is collected and used. You’ll need to provide timely support if questions or issues arise. Apple won’t be able to assist with fraud, IP disputes, payment disputes, or refunds.

Transaction reporting and commissions

App developers who distribute their apps on your alternative app marketplaces are responsible for reporting their transactions of digital goods or services to Apple, including those that didn’t result in sale. These transactions include purchases made within the developer’s app and from linking-out of apps distributed from your alternative app marketplace.

As an alternative app marketplace operator, you are responsible for reporting your transactions of digital goods or services to Apple, including those that didn’t result in a sale. These transactions include digital goods or services you sell, paid downloads of apps on your marketplace, paid downloads of your alternative app marketplace and subscription to a catalog of apps you distribute on your alternative app marketplace.

Transactions by you and the developers on your alternative app marketplace are subject to the Core Technology Commission (CTC) of 5%.

For more details on the CTC, reporting, and making payments, see:

• Changes to iOS apps in Japan: New business terms
• Reporting tokens and transactions to Apple
• Overview of making payments to Apple