I have a question on in app purchase
I have a requirement like user can get the premium account from in app purchase in the app to extend usage of the the existing functionality. The same feature can be brought from the website by logging into his account in web. If user buys the product from web and does login in the iPhone app, are we suppose to unlock this feature in iPhone? Apple doesn't say abut these kind of flows in their docs.
Since the premium account is a subscription based product like purhasing for 1 month or 1 year and not auto renewal. User has to buy the premium service once it expires.
So is my server has to maintain status like is logged in user is premium user or not?
Thanks
It depends on what the content is - in the guidelines doc - look at 11.14. Approved content is OK if pruchased outside the app (magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video and cloud storage) and you can purchase this content inside the app (apple will take their cut)
What you can't do is link to a website to purchase
Check out Apps like Kindle and Comixology
Related
I have 2 scenarios for my iOS app.
The user can purchase valid coupon code from my shopping cart website and they can user coupon code to access the application.
The user can download the app from app store and on Login Screen we have webpage link where the user will be navigated to my website and purchase coupon code to access the app.
Do Apple have any restriction to allow the user to purchase coupon code out side the apple environment?
Apple give you some Guidelines that you have to follow.
Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, etc. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.
So I don’t think that your scenarios will be possible.
Edit :
iOS app is rejected because of user buy subscription without IAP
From Apple 11.13 - Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the App, such as a "buy" button that goes to a web site to purchase a digital book, will be rejected 11.13 Details
First of all, my app include contents which are only allow to watch or access for membership subscribed user. It include 1 week, 2 weeks, 3weeks, 4 weeks and user have to pay it via other payment gateway which was popular at our country instead of IAP.
I can't use IAP because clients(users) at my country have problem with using IAP services because there is no international credit card services or payment services such as MasterCard,VIZA,etc are not supported as well. Also we can buy iTunes Gift Cards of course. But, compare it to our price subscription list, it is really too much
Here our subscriptions prize and it doesn't include auto-renew
1 weeks subscriptions -> $0.5
2 weeks subscriptions -> $0.9
3 weeks subscriptions -> $1.3
4 weeks subscriptions -> $1.5
So compare it to Apple Store Gift cards $10, that is not possible to use IAP. And at our country, giftcards are hard to buy because there is no Official Apple Store or authorized store.
To explain you about my popular payment gateway, it was like using Apple Gift Cards. It was just purchasing PIN codes from nearest Mini-marts, cafe and other shops. You can see the detail here.
http://reddotpayment.com
At my app, I included internal web view and it leads to reddot page which include textfield for PIN codes. After user fill the pin code which they bought and click subscribe, it can now part of our membership subscriptions. That's how it goes.
But Apple didn't allow and reject my app. They respond me like that.
Guideline 3.1.1 - Business
We noticed that your app enables the purchase of content, services, or
functionality in the app by means other than the in-app purchase API,
which is not appropriate for the App Store.
Specifically, your app uses Red For pay to purchase subscription
outside the app.
Next Steps
While the payment system that you have included may conduct the
transaction outside of the app, if the purchasable content,
functionality, or services are intended to be used in the app, they
must be purchased through in-app purchase, within the app - unless it
is of the type referenced in guideline 3.1.3 of the App Store Review
Guidelines.
Was it because I do the transaction outside of the app? I mean even internal web view? What if I make the transaction inside the app with UITextField call to our API for making the purchase?
Any Suggestions?
Only two ways to solve this case.
Use their In-App Purchase
Else try to trick the Apple with Server-side control especially when they are reviewing your app for App Store Distribution approval.
Please note :
Using No.2 might get your app rejected when they detect your app is
using 3rd party payment service instead of their because they want the
money for each subscriptions as long as your app meant for using only
at your country or specific territories not international.
Because if you app meant for using at world-wide like Uber or Instagram, then you are at dead end.
We are a website based service. We do not charge for accounts. We charge for services the user selects to do (such as exporting data). We collect money through our website and store that as credits in our system.
We have built a free app app and have been updating the app.
We would like to provide a user sign up in our app. We are having troubles figuring out if Apple will take issue with that. We understand if we sign up a new account in the app, Apple will take a 30% cut (ala Spotify).
The question is how do they handle free accounts?
EDIT:
Our app currently lets the user charge for services against their current credit balance (such as exporting a file) and have not had an issue with that in 4 years we have been doing it.
EDIT 2:
At one point, they did reject our App for hot linking to our website. That was 3 years ago and I forget if it was because they could create a new accout or could add credits to their account. I can't find a way to go back and look up the rejection notification.
Accounts are unrelated to purchases. Purchases and accounts are often used together, but this is a convenience and not strict requirement.
In your case:
The user may access the app with an account.
No payment is asked for the account.
Through this account, the user may receive content which has been paid for by credit card.
Credit card details have been submitted through your web site.
This is ok, as long as you do not take credit card payments in the app, or provide any buttons or links to credit card payments, from in the app.
According to the App Store Review guide.
3.1.1 In-App Purchase: If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game
currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a
full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may not include
buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct
customers to purchasing mechanisms other than IAP. Any credits or
in-game currencies purchased via IAP must be consumed within the app
and may not expire, and you should make sure you have a restore
mechanism for any restorable in-app purchases. Please remember to
assign the correct purchasability type or your app will be rejected.
Apps should not directly or indirectly enable gifting of IAP content,
features, or consumable items to others. Apps distributed via the Mac
App Store may host plug-ins or extensions that are enabled with
mechanisms other than the App Store.
And
3.1.3 Content-based “Reader” Apps: Apps may allow a user to access previously purchased content or subscriptions (specifically:
magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video, access to
professional databases, VoIP, cloud storage, and approved services
such as educational apps that manage student grades and schedules),
provided the app does not direct users to a purchasing mechanism other
than IAP.
In other words, users may access content that has been paid for outside of the app.
If the user is directed by the app to pay for something, then you may not use external payment services, and you must use In App Purchase.
So, hot linking to your web site from your app to accept payments is not allowed, whereas downloading content which has already been paid for through your web site outside of the app is allowed.
If in doubt, contact Apple directly through their support form, or the Apple developer program technical support.
Here's a scenario that's not clear to me in terms of whether it's allowed by Apple (even though I've seen other apps that actually do this):
User purchases or subscribes to a web app.
User then downloads related iOS app (i.e., it has the same functions and shares the same data with the web app) and can access the iOS app only by entering their user ID and password from the web app (so essentially the iOS app is free to download but not free to use).
According to the Apple Developer FAQ page for in-app purchases:
"Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected"
"Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected".
"Apps offering subscriptions must do so using IAP, Apple will share the same 70/30 revenue split with developers for these purchases, as set forth in the Program License Agreement"
"Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video and cloud storage) that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the App, as long as there is no button or external link in the App to purchase the approved content. Apple will only receive a portion of revenues for content purchased inside the App"
Does the last point contradict the other three?
Does the scenario I've seen where an iOS app is activated using the user ID and password from the developer's web app fall under the first three points, or under the fourth point? Why?
I presume it's also possible that the apps I've seen are violations that fell below the Apple radar, because the FAQ page also states the following:
"In general, the more expensive your App, the more thoroughly we will review it."
I'm really having trouble untangling what's allowed and not allowed and appreciate help getting a more clear understanding of these important rules.
I'm speaking from experience here, I worked for two clients who each have an app available in iTunes, Google Play, and on the web. Both apps are monetized from subscriptions which can be purchased with in-app purchases from iTunes and Google Play and via credit card on the website.
Each app from their respective app store only offer the appropriate and allowed purchase method, e.g. the iOS apps only offer in-app purchases from iTunes, they never offered credit card purchases, nor do they link to directly to a webpage to pay by credit card.
Users are required to login and the subscription status (notably the expiry date), regardless of where they purchased from, is associated to their account in the database. This allows the users to access paid content from any device without having to subscribe again with a different payment provider. e.g. The user buys a subscription on Google Play and they can access the paid content in the Android and iOS app or on the web.
Both clients have server-side receipt validation in place which checks the status of the subscription on the expiration date.
Apple and Google seem to have no problem with this and there are many notable examples of apps doing exactly this; spotify and skype are a few that come to mind and they are big players. If your app is rejected for using this same practice then those apps are in violation too.
We are in the process of developing a Cordova iPhone/iPad application, our plan is to release the app in the store as a free app.
We initially thought we would be able to offer full and free use of the app for 30 days, after which we would ask the user to pay to access the app.
The payment would be managed outside of the app (i.e. Not an in-app purchase), circumventing Apple's mechanism and the revenue split.
However from all the reading we've done around in-app subscriptions and taking payment outside of the app store it appears this may not be possible and we will struggle to get the app approved.
In an ideal world we would:
Publish the app
User download the app
User uses the app for 30 days
On day 31 we ask the user to pay for continued access
User taps a button and pays via our payment gateway
User returns to the app and can continue to use the app forever
We will also be releasing a web app, same functionality and same payment process required.
Im almost 100% sure that Apple will turn us down for this, we are essentially offering a trial of the app and then asking for payment simply to circumvent the revenue split - at least thats how it can be interpreted.
I'm trying to find a workflow (user journey) that would work in our case but also with the app store process.
Thinking something potentially like the Spotify model, where a subscription is required (Username/Password) and then the app is downloaded?
Your original idea is going to get you rejected for sure. What's wrong with offering some of the features through IAP?
From the submission guidelines:
2.9 Apps that are "beta", "demo", "trial", or "test" versions will be rejected
11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected
Additionally, you can do the subscription model, but beware of this as well:
11.12 Apps offering subscriptions must do so using IAP, Apple will share the same 70/30 revenue split with developers for these purchases, as set forth in the Program License Agreement
11.13 Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the App, such as a "buy" button that goes to a web site to purchase a digital book, will be rejected
11.14 Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video and cloud storage) that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the App, as long as there is no button or external link in the App to purchase the approved content. Apple will only receive a portion of revenues for content purchased inside the App
Seems like Apple become less strict to that rule. I can't find any mentions like this: "Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected" in current docs.
Here is a new one:
3.1.1 In-App Purchase: If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game
currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a
full version), you must use in-app purchase.
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-app-purchase
Also, Netflix has launched the app with the ability to buy a subscription outside of the Appstore:
https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/276066-netflix-experiments-with-bypassing-apple-app-store-subscription-fees