Amazon-acquired Comixology stops selling comics on iOS and Android

Digital-comics marketplace and reader Comixology updated its Comics apps for Android and iOS on Saturday to stop Apple and Google from taking a percentage of purchases made through the apps. The move returns to Comixology, which was just purchased by Amazon for an undisclosed sum, a significant portion of its sales that had been going to the tech titans. They were collecting 30 percent of the price of every comic sold. 

After being bought by online retailer Amazon, digital comics platform ComiXology has discontinued its legacy iOS application and issued an entirely new release that lacks a digital storefront, allowing the company to avoid Apple’s 30 percent cut of in-app purchases. ComiXology sent out an email to customers on Saturday vaguely stating that a “new” application for iPhone and iPad has been released, while the old one is being retired. At no point does the email explain to users that the new version lacks a digital storefront, meaning users must access the Safari browser to purchase new titles. As a carrot to entice users to switch over, the company has offered customers a $5 ComiXology gift card. Switching to the new application requires users to sync their in-app purchases in the legacy application, then installing the new option from the App Store and logging into their account.