Apple’s iTunes Affiliate program has notified users of the program that developers can now earn affiliate commission via the Store Kit feature in iOS 8. StoreKit Product Sheet, which has existed since 2012’s iOS 6, allows developers to put a page inside of their apps to download other items from the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. However, the feature was not compatible with affiliates until iOS 8. Here’s Apple’s email to affiliate users:
We are excited to announce that Store Kit Product Sheet is now affiliate commissionable on iOS 8.
Store Kit Product Sheet allows app developers to promote the purchase of music, apps, books and more directly from a sheet within your app and earn the standard affiliate commission on all sales within 24 hours.
We encourage you to use Store Kit Product Sheet to provide a superior user experience and keep users in your app longer. Learn how to integrate your affiliate token into the Store Kit Product Sheet in the Developer Documentation.
Apple briefly discussed this iOS 8 enhancement for developers during a WWDC 2014 session, but this email indicates Apple is pushing developers to utilize all of the resources available to increase their monthly revenues.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
I think what you mean to say is that app developers can pay out affiliate commissions, not earn them. The idea is that if a developer allows others to promote their app, that person can earn a commission for each sale that comes through their affiliate link.
If an app developer (#1) can pay out affiliate commissions, the app developer (#2) that referred to the app developed by developer #1 gets a commission. Therefore, app developers can now earn affiliate commissions via Store Kit in iOS 8.