Apple says,
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.
For example my IOS app will be used to make consultations with a web service and will be given free to users by my customer, since the web service is ours and flexible, it can offer different and hunderds of types of consultations (e.g first-aid guide, TV troubleshooting, Internet Connection trouble shooting..etc) and this can all be updated in web service by user. But this does not mean that users can use the app to buy some new guides. It will be offered to the users for free with a specific description of "This app includes this 10 guides" but we are charging the customer for license of using out web service and iPhone is one of the many ways we are offering client to access the web service and get that knowledge.
Is this possible? and what are the Apple restrictions?
Can I sell this app to CompanyX which offers 10 different troubleshooting guides?
Then sell CompnayQ another build with supports 50 different guides?
Apple have made it clear in their terms for the App Store that you must not offer anything for sale - neither products nor services - from inside an app unless it uses their purchasing APIs. This is why e. g. Amazon had to remove the buy-a-book feature from their Kindle app for iOS. You must not even have a link to a website in your app that would take the user to your website for purchase in Safari. AFAIK even a text hint on some screen inside your app telling people to go to your website for purchase of further services might be problematic in the review process.
In my opinion (which is just that, an opinion) you will probably be good with different apps for CustomerX and CustomerY, each offering free access to a specific subset of your web services. You will even be good if existing users of any of the apps can buy access to additional services on your website and then use them in their respective apps, as long as you do not link to that page from your app. You will, of course, still have to implement some kind of user-id system to recognize which users have access to the additional services, and which don't.
I suggest you take a look at how Amazon does it, because their Kindle app has certainly had a lot of scrutiny from the reviewers. Follow their lead and you should be good.
If you sell guides in the app you probably have to use in app purchases, where apple will remain 30% of the money. otherwise your app will probably get rejected.
if you have an developer account you can check the app store review guidelines.. point 11.2:
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
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
Related
I'm finding it difficult to get a concrete answer on this, either I'm finding the wrong info or not comprehending what I am finding.
Our app will be available on the Play Store and App Store, as well as being accessible via Web App. We planned on using our website for customers to sign up, subscribe, pay, etc. The app will be a free download on the mobile app stores, with the free features active, only requiring a subscription for the advanced features.
Would this scenario (using Stripe for subscriptions, without any use of Google IAB or Apple IAP) break any developer agreements as they stand?
You will be rejected from the app store if you do this. Guidelines:
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.
If you don't want to bother integrating IAP, you can just exclude the payment stuff on the mobile client and let people do it on the web. Then, you can use your own verification mechanism to give people that have subscribed the correct content once they log into your app.
Spotify does something similar as described on their website. As far as how much of that they reveal in the app itself, you'd have to download it and see as I am not sure offhand. Your app may be rejected if it directly instructs users to go subscribe on your site.
The relevant info for the Play store is here.
Developers offering products within another category of app downloaded
on Google Play must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of
payment, except for the following cases: Payment is solely for
physical products.
Payment is for digital content that may be consumed
outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other
music players).
According to this, you are not required to use In-app Billing on Android since your content will technically be available on iOS and web as well.
We currently have an app in the itunnes Appstore which features in-app-purchase for Apple users as well as login for paying users through our own system. Now this app has existed for a while so apparently Apple is OK with it. Maybe because those who have paid through our system are public schools and municipalities... I frankly don't know since their guidelines state:
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.
And this worries me because:
If you attempt to cheat the system (for example, by trying to trick the review process, steal user data, copy another developer's work, or manipulate ratings) your apps will be removed from the store and you will be expelled from the Developer Program.
Now recently we updated the app with a new feature which was unavailable for the in-app-purchase customers but enabled for our personal customers*. Again Apple is fine with it but I worry that is only because they don't know... I don't dare ask Apple directly as I might end up getting our app pulled etc. so that is why I ask my question here:
If Apple are fine with the old setup that had all features available for in-app-purchase customers could this new added feature which only works for our customers and not Apple in-app-purchase users be a major issue? How flexible is Apple on this area in everyone else experience?
'* (This is a dumb setup I know, but the problem is our services is locked to only be used for our personal customers and this new feature requires our services.)
I am developing an iOS application where all payment related things are on existing website, our app don't have any payment related thing in it. A user adds payment details on website and select appropriate plan and can use it on both website and iOS app.
So please tell me that if i have nothing on app for using In-App purchase then it will be get approved on app store or get rejected just because app is not giving them their 30% share?
I need some expert advise...
I just read through that exact section of the developer guidelines, and it confirms that that is prohibited. A recent example of such apps being rejected: apps using Dropbox were being rejected (the Dropbox API had a button that could navigate users to their website to upgrade their account instead of having it take place in-app, where Apple would have gotten a percentage).
A quote from that article:
In case you’re wondering what the reasoning these apps are getting for rejection, here’s what Apple is responding with:
11.13
We found that your app provides access to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
Specifically, your app enables to user to create accounts with Dropbox and Google.
Well that sucks. Apparently at some point when using an app that utilizes the Dropbox SDK, you can create an account for the service if you don’t already have one. At that point, there’s a link to a desktop version of Dropbox that lets you upgrade your account. That’s exactly what Apple isn’t a fan of.
My suggestion would be to make them available for purchase via an in-app purchase, charge 30% more for it (so you make the same amount as if the user made the purchase on the web or on Android), but make the user's job post last for 30% more time. This isn't quite fair for you because, if you make $100 off John for an 30-day listing, you would still only make $100 off me for a 39-day listing (assuming I bought the listing via the iOS app). That said, there is no incentive for me to pay for the listing via the iOS app because I am paying $130 (30% more than John) for it and the additional days.
Best of luck.
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/05/02/apps-using-dropbox-are-being-rejected-because-apple-is-playing-hardball/
The link on App Store Review Guidelines mentions:
3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services: Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired
elsewhere, including consumable items in multi-platform games, provided those
items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. You must not directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods must not discourage use of in-app purchase.
I am not sure how Netflix does this. New users cannot signup on iOS App, but can sign up on website, purchase subscriptions and use in iOS App.
I'm developing an application and I'm looking which tool should I use for adding priced features in it.
Before answering, there are some things to take in account, that's what blocking me:
1 - We have a web application which already manage purchases for the web, and we would prefer going through our API to manage purchases as it's already here.
2 - We have 2 differents type for purchasable items : a subscription (for now we have 3 months or 12 months subscription, but we're working on making only one kind of subscription) and a virtual currency in a virtual wallet that the user can fill as he wants.
3 - Last but not the less, when a user subscribes or add currencies to his virtual wallet, those items are also available on the web application.
I've troubles choosing IAP or Braintree/Tribe, because it's seems to me that some Apple's guidelines are contradicting each others in my situation :
"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"
Those first rules are saying that I just cannot use any third-party API to add priced content in my application.
"11.3
Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the App will be rejected"
In my case, I feel like the subscription and our virtual currency are concidered "goods and services" used outside of the app, because the user can use it on our web application
"11.4
Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies must consume those credits within the App"
Here, Apple seems to tell you "Ok, go for the virtual currency, BUT we prevent you from using it outside of your iOS application"
So what should we do ? Can we add our purchases inside of our application, or are we forced to say to the user for buying them on our web application ? And if we can add them in our application, does it go to the In-App purchase or to the "third party payment API" because it's used on our web app too ?
Thank you in advance for your help
Bilkix
I'm no expert, but my understanding is that you have to use Apple's In-App Purchase to unlock content within your own app (for instance, if your app is a game and you want to sell additional content such as new levels, you should use IAP).
For selling goods that aren't relevant to the app (i.e. the app is merely a storefront), then you must use an external processor.
For reference, here is the support article from Stripe that covers this topic: https://support.stripe.com/questions/apple-and-stripe-tos-and-fees
(Disclaimer: I work for Stripe.)
is this okay to implement payment system on ios apps? I would like to make an app that can browse products on my e-commerce website then let people buy products on my app. I'm asking this question because i've heard it is violating apple's policy.
It apparently depends on the what is being sold. The definitive answer can only be gotten from your lawyer's reading of the Apple agreement, of course, but I can speak from a little experience.
Apple themselves say that: if a product is sold in-app, it must use Apple's IAP (which gives Apple their 30% cut), and not be offered for less through other channels. However, there is an extensive list of things that are not eligible for purchase with IAP at all. Chief among these are: physical products; and services performed outside the application.
I have worked on two apps, both free, that are clients for fee-based web services (continuing education classes in one case, an employee scheduling service in the other). Neither used IAP, just linked to a purchasing web page. Both were accepted by Apple without comment. It seems that since the products were (arguably) not eligible for IAP, using an alternative purchase method was permitted. I'm sure it helps that Apple itself does not compete with either of these services.
Bear in mind Apple has also rejected apps that are just "wrappers" for web sites and offer no real app functionality; or for any of a long list of sillier reasons. (e.g.: I had one app rejected for using the word "Sample" in the name; but a change to "Free", with identical functionality, made it OK.) So consult a lawyer before taking any risk predicated on the developer agreement.
[edited to add:]
For dev program members, the relevant legalese is to be found here (login required), "iOS Developer Program License Agreement", attachment 2 (about 2/3 through the document.) A few relevant phrases from the Jun 12 2012 version, emphases mine:
You may not use the In-App Purchase API to offer goods or services to be used outside of Your Application.
You may not enable end-users to purchase Currency of any kind through the In-App Purchase API, including but not limited to any Currency for exchange, gifting, redemption,
transfer, trading or use in purchasing or obtaining anything within or outside of Your Application.
Rentals of content, services or functionality through the In-App Purchase API are not allowed
You may not use the In-App Purchase API to send any software updates to Your Application or otherwise add any additional executable code to Your Application. (not that this is even physically possible. --R.)
[except] as permitted under Section 3.3.23 (In-App Purchase API), an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store or VPP/B2B Program Site.
By my reading, this means that anything besides unlocking functionality within an app is fair game for an alternative purchase mechanism, and forbidden categories of items require such. But ask a real lawyer.
[edited to add, much later:]
After a fun update fiasco with one of the above mentioned apps, these anecdotes are not entirely true anymore. Apple booted one of them because of a tenuous link to a signup web page for some paid services. So be careful, and be prepared for Apple to yank things arbitrarily if you wander anywhere close to the line.
You must use In-App Purchase via StoreKit or your app will be rejected. Implementing your own payment system violates a couple of the review guidelines, most directly:
Apps utilizing a system other than the
In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase
content, functionality, or services in
an app will be rejected
This of course only applies to content, functionality, or services within the app, as long a the purchase is only relevant to things outside of the app they have no stake in the purchase.
Pretty sure Apple won't allow that, especially if the App is free. They are putting up the money to distribute your app, provide the development tools, etc, so they'd like to take their cut off everything you make as a result of that.
Here is App Store Review Guidelines.
Read 3.1.1.