The Supreme Court allowed Apple to continue using its current payment store practices for the time being, denying a request from Fortnite developer Epic Games that the Big Tech giant be forced to let iPhone users purchase apps through other means.

On Wednesday, Justice Elena Kagan denied the application, which would have allowed a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision declaring that Apple had violated California competition laws to go into immediate effect. The justice did not state why she was blocking the request.

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The decision is a win for Apple, which will continue to be allowed to restrict users from buying iPhone apps from sellers other than itself.

Kagan's decision means Apple will get a reprieve as it is given time to file a Supreme Court appeal later this year. The 9th Circuit ruling could still go into effect if the court rejects Apple's case.

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In August 2020, Epic Games decided to allow Fortnite players to save money by purchasing V-Bucks, the in-game currency, through Epic Games's website. That decision would cut Apple out as the middleman and not require Epic Games to pay Apple a 30% fee on the transaction. Apple retaliated by booting Fortnite from its App Store. Epic Games filed a suit against the company, alleging it was maintaining an "absolute monopoly" over the affair.

The court initially ruled that Apple had not breached antitrust law as Epic Games had originally alleged but that the company had violated California's Unfair Competition Law and had to amend the App Store to fix it. The 9th Circuit upheld both decisions in April 2023. Apple stated in a July filing that it intended to ask the court to review the decision but has not filed the request yet.