Epic’s web payments token
A recent post notes Epic is experimenting with a webstore for in‑game credits that uses an $A1X token as a payments workaround to avoid app‑store rules, though public buzz is limited. (x.com).
Epic is building web shops that let game makers sell virtual currency outside mobile apps, using Epic’s own checkout instead of Apple or Google billing. (store.epicgames.com) Epic said on October 2, 2025 that the service is live for mobile and PC games through its self-publishing tools. The company said purchases can work across U.S. versions on PC, iOS, and Android, including apps distributed through Apple’s App Store and Google Play. (store.epicgames.com) The basic product is a browser-based storefront tied to a game account. Epic’s Web Shops page says developers can sell “virtual currency and other one use items” directly to players, even if the base game is not listed on the Epic Games Store. (store.epicgames.com) That setup targets the same fee fight Epic has been waging for years. Epic said in May 2025 that web shops would offer “out-of-app purchases” as an alternative to in-app purchases, where Apple, Google, and others take a cut. (store.epicgames.com) The timing changed after courts and regulators loosened some steering rules. Apple told developers in May 2025 that it had updated U.S. App Review Guidelines on “buttons, external links, and other calls to action,” and Google’s current Android documentation says eligible developers can send users outside an app to complete digital purchases. (developer.apple.com) (developer.android.com) Epic has paired that pitch with cheaper economics for publishers. Its current terms say developers keep 100% of the first $1 million in net revenue per title per year on Epic-processed payments, then move to Epic’s standard 88%/12% split after that threshold. (store.epicgames.com) Epic also built the web shops around its own payments stack, not a public crypto rail. The company says the stores use Epic’s payment system, support Epic account balance, and can plug into Epic Rewards; Google, by contrast, uses an “external transaction token” in its Android APIs as a reporting token for off-app purchases, not as a consumer payment coin. (store.epicgames.com) (developer.android.com) Public material from Epic does not describe any $A1X token as a customer-facing payment method. Epic’s Web Shops FAQ says eligible products can sell consumables, but excludes Web3 games from the program. (store.epicgames.com) Epic has already used the same account-based model in Fortnite. The company said players can redeem Fortnite gift cards into Epic account balance and then spend that balance in web shops or on Epic storefront purchases. (store.epicgames.com) (epicgames.com) The open question is how far developers push this outside-app route as Apple and Google keep fighting over the rules. For now, Epic’s public launch materials describe a conventional web checkout for in-game credits, wrapped in legal language about steering, fees, and direct sales. (store.epicgames.com) (developer.apple.com)
