Obvious solution - put the app up on the mac app store at 30% or so higher cost, and keep it around on Stripe or similar for those who want to buy it for less. Seems win-win.
Apart from breaking the rules for MAS publishing it's also dishonest - it doesn't cost $0 to self-distribute, but no one ever itemises that cost as extra
> (Note that I'm not allowed to charge 30% more on the MAS to pass on the cost... That's a violation of the MAS developer agreement.)
Is having some kind of rebate coupon after buying from a different payment processor an option? Or maybe increasing the price by 30% all around, and then throwing in some sort of 'added extra' for people who don't buy through the MAS?
Also, I like the MAS even less after learning about this kind of terrible control.
As a user I don't get to choose which payment processor a developer uses.
> but this is very much an argument about how I (or someone else) should appreciate your business in whatever form it comes to me, and that's not true. You'll probably want point releases and features and customer support, but for 30% less than a sustainable price.
You're ignoring the higher likelihood of purchase via the MAS. When I can just click and its purchased without hassle, without issues, you have to deal with a lot less lost sales due to hard/troublesome/scary payment processes.
If you don't want to sell on the MAS, thats absolutely your choice as a developer, but you need to recognise that the MAS is a much better experience for buyers than pretty much any other option currently in use. The best case scenario is a seller who has an easy buying workflow, actually handles security correctly, uses a reliable payment processor, and gives me the required licensing information instantly.
I've not seen that very often, and even when I do, I'm still left having to manage my license information so I can easily re-install.