I appreciate this. I commented on the story in hopes to get the author to clarify what was meant. It’s possible the author was stating the obvious: 30% of zero dollars paid for the app equals zero and therefore no fee but did not mean there is no fee for in-app purchases of free apps. I usually find Apple Insider to be a trustworthy source.

Thanks for your input. I did read the entire developer agreement and then some, which is why I posted here. Nothing denies nor confirms the above quote from Apple Insider, which is why I created an account to post this question. The quote is from here: https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/230272?_gl=1%2A1n8rnv1%2A_ga%2AYW1wLVRRNnc0UGpVdnE1Y2xldWlIM2lPbVE. Maybe the author mis-worded the statement but I would like to get an official “No” from someone with a similar business model before I structure my pricing around it.

That’s not helpful. “On the iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS App Store, Apple charges a 30% fee for apps and in-app purchases. However, the fee doesn't apply to free apps.”