Apple to raise app prices in UK because of pound’s drop

The currency has dropped about 18 per cent of its value since the vote to leave the EU.

Apple is raising App Store prices in the United Kingdom as much as 25 per cent, bending to the pound’s drop in value following the country’s vote to leave the European Union.

Apps that cost 79 pence (Dh3.58, or 99 US cents) will increase to 99 pence, according to a notification sent to app developers today, seen by Bloomberg. Apps that costs $2.99 in the US, for instance, will now cost £2.99. Apple told developers the changes will be made in the next seven days.

“Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time,” an Apple spokesman said.

The App Store increase comes after U.K. inflation surged to its fastest pace in more than two years last month, driven by a drop in the pound’s value. The Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned on Monday that inflation could hurt consumer spending in the country.

This is not Apple’s first post-Brexit price increase. The company previously raised the price of hardware products, including the iPhone, to account for the currency’s drop in value. Since the June vote, the pound has fallen roughly 18 per cent against the dollar.

The website 9to5Mac.com first reported the price increase.

* Bloomberg

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