Auto-Renewable Subscription in iOS app - ios

The company I work for has a lot of education apps in the app store (SAT Prep, ACT Prep, GRE Prep, etc...). The current business model is the user downloads the app for free with a handful of sample questions, and is given the option to buy 6 months of access to all the questions, a year, or lifetime.
we want to make the 6 month & 1 year options auto-renewable... is this possible? from what I've read apple really only allows auto-renewable subscriptions on newsstand apps, but we want to try to submit it anyway. Would this be achieved by changing the in app purchase setting in itunes connect from non recurring to recurring? and/or would i have to change the code in some places?
Thanks guys

Looking here - In App Purchase guide lines + having the same experience I think you might get rejection for using Auto Renewable products in your app. Saying that I think that apple guide lines for product types are not 100% clear, and you can definitely try to submit. I had examples where one reviewer rejected the app claiming for wrong product type but the second approved it with out any changes.
But, if you will get rejected -
You will have to create new products, as you can not change product type + if your product list is coded locally on the app you will have to update the list.
I am almost sure that auto renewable have a different restore mechanism so you will have to change that too.
Hope it helps

Related

Is it possible to change In-App-Purchase type in iOS?

I want to know that in iOS is that possible to change type from Auto-renewable to Consumable Or vice versa , after product configuration completed and tested with sandbox user?
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks
Short answer: no, you can't.
Here is the Apple documentation about it: Create an in-app purchase.
If you really need to change the In-App Purchase Type, you have to add a new In-App Purchase in AppStore Connect and set the right configuration for it, then remove the old one.
No, you can not.
It lets you change the product prices without updating the app, but those you setup in the console are final.
You may create other products at any time, they would have nonetheless, a different ID which you may be required to update depending your Apps needs.
In a nutshell, prices and features, you can. The nature of the product itself you can not, 1$ to 3$ is OK. Consumable to Non-Consumable Nope.
I quote Apple:
Before you start coding, you need to configure products in App Store Connect for your app to interact with. As you develop your app, you can add and remove products and refine or reconfigure your existing products.
Products are reviewed when you submit your app as part of the app review process. Before users can buy a product, it must be approved by the reviewer and you must mark it as “cleared for sale” in App Store Connect.
Therefore, it's a sticky and cumbersome process, no changes allowed.
I hope I helped, if you need any further help please comment. Good luck!

3 Month free only on first installation

I need to implement a system where when the user install my app for the first time, he has 3 month of free use.
After three month the app has to show in-app purchase options.
I need to avoid that if the user remove and reinstall app, he can again use three month of free use.
I thought to use InApp purchase (a free, Non-Consumable item) to achieve my goal.
Using 'Non-Consumable' I have that 'SKPaymentTransaction *originalTransaction' contains the date of original transaction, so I can know If 3 month are expired or not and if the user reinstall or install the app in other devices, he can restore the remaining days using the same iTunes account.
Unfortunatly Apple reject the app using this reasons:
"
11.7: Apps that use IAP to purchase items must assign the correct Purchasability type
11.7
We found that the Purchasability Type for one or more of your In App Purchase products was inappropriately set, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
'3 mese' is set to Non-Consumable. However, based on product functionality, it would be more appropriate to use the Non-Renewable Subscription In App Purchase type because the service offered by your application requires the user to make an advance payment to access the content or receive the service.
"
They suggest me to use Non-Renewable Subscription, but I dont have free price in Non-Renewable Subscription, so its useless for me.
In wich way I can achive my goal ?
Should I use KeyChain to store some identifier ?
But in this way the user will have 3 month in each device and I will not able to identifier uniquely on my server and, in addition, formatting the iphone he will have another 3 months of free use
Maybe in the app could I force the user to create an account on my server (or unsing parse.com for example) to have 3 month free ? Anyway the user could create several fake accounts except if I ask for personal data as phone number...but I think that Apple could reject the App if I ask personal data
What is the best choice be adopted in these cases?
For this I would firstly, create a back-end system. Possibly using Parse.com. Then I would register the users UDID when they sign up to the app. This way its the device that they have registered not just the app. Then create a code that will allow them to access the app but perform a check in the database on parse to see whether or not they are allowed the free content. If not, then show the payment options.

iOS app Free for 1 month after that monthly Payable Subscriptions

I am planing to publish an iOS app. App should be Free for first 1 month from installation in the Device. Once the 1 month period is over , user has to subscribe to use the application every month by paying some X amount.
1) Will apple allows such applications ?
2) If allows, how to achieve this kind of Payments ?
3) How to prevent user to access the app after 1 month. (Calculation of the Days)?
4) Should i reinstall the app after subscription ?
IAP is supposed to be used to provide additional content and features to an already functional app.
If you render your app useless or without functionality after a month, it will probably be rejected, or banned after approved. I believe you can't have an app that will simply say "Your trial expired.".
In my opinion, you would need to think of a functionality that you can provide to all users, regardless of they paying for it or not, and have the premium or the extra functionality purchased as a In-App Purchase.
Apple does not allow free trials in the app store. If you try to do this, your app will get rejected. Still, there is one category of app where Apple does allow a free trial: apps with auto-renewing subscriptions. These were originally intended for (and only allowed with) Newsstand apps where the subscription is for getting new content such as magazine editions etc.
Apple recently allowed the use of auto-renewing subscriptions in non-Newsstand apps but it's still a very grey area as to what exactly Apple will allow with these. Usually the subscription will have to provide some kind of periodic new content in your app. I agree with those who recommend against using them.

iOS App Distribution for closed usergroup

We are an university department for further education courses and we are planning to publish our cd based courses as an additional iOS/Android App. As we have almost finished the development process we are now facing some questions regarding the distribution. The basic idea is to publish the app in a lite version for free (including chapter one of the course). After you have completed this chapter you will be asked to enter your login data. Our students will be able to enter thier data to activate (download missing content from our server) the app. If you are not an enrolled student there will be a link to our course page. On this page you can enroll for the courses and of course there is a charge for this.
But Apple only allows purchases via the App Store or as so called "in app buys".
Will we violate this rule with our idea?
I have found some newspaper apps with basically the same concept: download for free. If you have a print subscription for this newspaper you enter your data and can use the app. If not you can subscribe for the online offer via an in app buy.
After days of research we have no clear answer to this scenario.
Any comment appreciated.
There are two possible solution for your situation:
Without In-App Purchase: You can create an app which can have a eBook (in your case, dummy eBook with chapter 1 content) bundled with the App.
By doing this anyone who can download will have access to the dummy eBook as well.
For downloading of additional-contents user can do login and access the eBooks available with their account.
Kindly note as you are not using In-App purchase there shall be no links for user registration, buy inside your app.
All these you can handle at your web-site.
Your app can check for valid user credential using a web-service call, and user can see the contents available for download.
Advantages: 1) You shall not be paying 30 % to Apple as No-purchases are done using your app.
2) This is total compliance with Apple guidelines, this link and part 11 specially will be of interest.
Disadvantage: Users cannot directly buy/register via app and you need to maintain additional services for user login validation/content mapping/download content etc.
Using in-App Purchase:
You can use Apple provided in-App purchase for selling content/ registration of users etc.
Please note Apple shall charge 30 % on your selling price.
Advantages: Users can register and buy directly using your app. In-App purchase guidelines will help more in this.
Disadvantage: Apple will charge 30% on Selling price.
Given what you are trying to do, there really is no clear answer for your question that this community can provide, I'm afraid.
The true answer is entirely up to Apple's current app review policies. You should probably submit the app, explain clearly what you are doing, and if it gets rejected/denied, you can follow up with an appeal to the app review board.
As far as I know, physical items that are purchased are not subject to Apple's 30% cut. However, since you're offering courses / content over the 'net, Apple may want some percentage (between 0 & 30%) of the the profits you're making. Maybe they have a different arrangement with newspaper publishers. Ultimately, you'd need to submit the app and find out what the reviewers and app review board say.

In-App Purchase... Can I do this?

I'm building an app that will provide users with an evolving directory of companies in their local area (location-based) that manufacture green/sustainable products. I want companies to be able to add themselves to the app by purchasing a subscription using in-app purchase. This would be a 1 year subscription.
Just read this in the iOS Standard Agreement: 2.3 Content and services may be offered through the In-App Purchase API on a subscription basis (e.g., subscriptions to newspapers and magazines). Rentals of content, services or functionality through the In-App Purchase API are not allowed (e.g., use of particular content may not be restricted to a pre-determined, limited period of time).
If the service is only for a year, does this preclude me from doing the above? Anybody have any insight on any of this? I'd appreciate your input - I can't get any info from Apple. Thanks.
My guess is that you are not allowed to do that. As you really cannot restrict who subscribes for a year – it might be any user – you probably cannot offer this. The IAP doesn't provide any content or service to the user other that a listing. As you probably need an external data source (e.g. a web application) I would suggest moving the subscription there. This is just my opinion and I am no lawyer so I might be completely wrong here.
You can do it. See the image below. You just have to choose the right option.
You can find it itunesConnect in the app detail section.
For your case I suggest Consumable is appropriate and have to maintain a check that wether its been a year or not since the last magazine purchase or what so ever your scenario is.

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