IANAL - but I'm pretty sure the app platforms are breaking many laws here, not allowing people to freely donate. Like free speech, able to ask for help, freedom to do business, abuse of monopoly. They might be able to get away with a transaction fee, and a store fee, but they should not be able to censor text, links, etc. This is the new Mafia. If you don't play by their rules (theirs, not the law) your business dies!
Yes, you are obviously NAL. The rules are clear and are applied evenly; it is the even application of the rule that is causing the problem here. FOSS-advocates think they are special snowflakes who deserve an exception to the rule about asking for payment. The app stores (both Apple and Google) clearly disagree and think that this is something that will be easily gamed and abused.
Nothing is preventing these apps from simply saying 'if you want to learn more or support our project go to <some top-level URL>' instead of directly linking the URL to a donation. Do that and there is no problem.
I have certainly heard of apps removing all links to their website because Apple reviewers have followed a help/feedback link, gotten to their main website, and then found purchase/donation links there and rejected the review.
Any references for this? I have only heard of this happening when the page is clearly for donations (like this case) or almost exclusively composed of 'give us money' content.
Amazon.com is nothing but a sales site so I cannot imagine why anyone would think it is anything other than a path to try to route around in-app purchases, same with Bandcamp. The one with the developer blog and a patreon link is a lot weaker, but the other two examples were explicity not allowed according to the rules at the time.
