Apple adopts new app pricing tiers, Chinese users to pay more

Apple users in China may no longer be buying apps that cost 99 cents in the US for 6 yuan because the company is adopting new pricing tiers in several of its international App Stores.

According to the new pricing scheme Apple has provided to its developers, the minimum price of applications in China will go up from 6 yuan to 8 yuan ($1.30). The minimum proceeds will rise to 5.60 yuan, keeping the developers' cut at 70 percent of the proceeds. The price of $3.99 apps will go up from 25 yuan to 28 yuan, while $1.99, $2.99 and $4.99 apps will remain at 12 yuan, 18 yuan and 30 yuan, respectively.

A number of European countries will experience price changes too. The base price has been shifted from 0.89 of a euro ($1.15) to 0.99.