Apps can read or play approved content
(magazines, newspapers, books, audio,
music, video) that is sold outside of
the app, for which Apple will not
receive any portion of the revenues,
provided that the same content is also
offered in the app using IAP at the
same price or less than it is offered
outside the app. This applies to both
purchased content and subscriptions.
Say you're a publisher, and you want to sell subscriptions to your content. Until a week or two ago, the only way to sell content to be displayed in an iOS app was to use in-app purchase, and Apple would take their usual 30% cut. This new rule says that you, the publisher, may now also sell subscriptions outside the app and still let your users use the content in the app, and Apple doesn't expect to get a cut of those subscription fees. So, for example, you can give all the subscribers to your print edition access to the electronic version of your content. Or you can sell subscriptions on your web site without paying Apple a share of the proceeds. However, you can't encourage your app users to avoid IAP by charging a higher price for IAP purchases than you do for outside purchases.
Related
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.
Apple says the following in thier guidelines / rules:
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”
As of today we are one of Sweden's bestselling apps using IAP. Since the new tax rules in EU we realy would like to skip both Apple and Google. We only offer our content thru our apps (100% app company).
Can you offer subscriptions outside an app if all you do is informing the userbase about cheaper subscriptions on a webbpage with a 10% disscount without having a link or button to it. Just plain text informing about it?
If you read the 11.14 rule it feels like this scenario would be allowed? But at the same time there is some kind of grey-area in this situation, how far can you go and what is allowed and what not? This is not a programming questions and I understand it. But I would appreciate the knowledge and experience people do have on this matter.
Reagards
I am implementing ios app in which I want to add In-App purchase (IAP).
I want to use in-app purchase for below situation:
1) User will make registration and pay $10.
2) Now, my app will allow user to download songs. (For ex. 10 songs of $1. So user can download 10 songs.)
3) User can add more credit by again making purchase of $10. (So if user wants to pay 2 times then he/she will get $20 in his/her account. And he can download 20 songs of $1.)
4) While downloading song, my app will check whether user has enough balance or not, then only he can download data. (If there is no balance then it will ask to make payment of $10 first.)
I have make research for above situation and also looked into in-app purchase guidelines from Apple.
From that, I come across below:
1) If I will use subscription: But in that case, user will be charged after some duration (for ex. monthly payment, 3 month payment). Which I don't want. Because I want user to pay only if he wants to download data and not have balance. So I think, subscription is not ideal.
2) If I will user Consumable in-app purchase: Here, I can use it, so user can pay as many times as he want. And I need to track his balance from server side. So, from server APIs, I can check user's balance. But I think, it may conflict with Apple rules.
"Consumable items are the one exception to the requirement that your content be available on all the user’s devices. Consumable items are digital items that are used up or disappear after use and can never be reused. Examples of consumable items include virtual poker chips, in-game ammunition, or virtual supplies such as construction materials."
So, user can make payment from his iPhone device. And he can download songs from his iPad device as well. Means, purchase is sharable.
But,
Consumables are device-by-device items, so their purchase needs to be made with the understanding that they are tied to the specific device. Apple does not let you restore a purchased consumable. You should warn your users that consumables are not shareable, and make it easy for users to purchase smaller blocks of items.
So can someone helps what kind of in-app purchase is suitable for above and also according to Apple Rules regarding in-app purchase.
Thanks in advance.
User "Non-Renewing Subscription" should fit your requirement https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnectInAppPurchase_Guide/Chapters/CreatingInAppPurchaseProducts.htm
I have a confusion regarding subscription in the app. I want to upload my app to the app store with some price tier. I want user to pay every month some subscription fee to use complete functionality of the app. I have seen apps that are available as free with subscription but my app will be paid with subscription.
Will Apple reject my app?
I have already asked this question on Apple developer forum. Here is the link:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5134928
Looking at the App Store Review Guidelines, the only rule I see that could affect you is:
11.15 Apps may only use auto renewing subscriptions for periodicals (newspapers, magazines), business Apps (enterprise, productivity,
professional creative, cloud storage) and media Apps (video, audio,
voice), or the App will be rejected.
I guess you have to determine if you app fits in one of these categories. I always say that Apple can do whatever they want, so the only 100% way to know if you'll be rejected is to submit it. The review process is much faster than it used to be, so it shouldn't set you back more than a week.
Other subscription-related rules
11.6 Content subscriptions using IAP must last a minimum of 7 days and be available to the user from all of their iOS devices
That's a straightforward rule.
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 Developer Program License Agreement.
If you want someone to subscribe within the app, you have to give Apple their cut by using IAP. Otherwise, you need your own website for sign-up, à la Netflix.
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
When you set up your own website for sign-ups, you can't even link to it. People have to know about it before using your app.
We sell minutes to call other countries, and we want to allow users to make payments within the app. These minutes have a cost to us from wholesalers. Using in-app purchase will dramatically increase the cost to the user if Apple takes a 30% cut.
1 - "You must deliver a digital good or service within your application. Do not use In-App Purchase to sell real-world goods and services." (Source)
I'm not sure if this applies to me or not. Can anyone shine some light on this?
Only Apple can give you a definitive answer, but the way I would interpret the paragraph quoted below, you have to use IAP for purchasing credits, and you also have to be able to use those credits directly within the app (i.e. make phone calls):
Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies must consume those credits within the application
Section 11.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines says this:
Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected
If the minutes you are selling are consumed by an iOS app (any app, not just the app in which the user buys the minutes), then this rule applies to you.
If you are selling minutes that are added to a calling card that the user physically possesses, then you might be able to bypass Apple's IAP, but you'll have to either submit your app or talk to someone on the review team to be sure.
What you're selling is a digital service - connectivity. Your IAP product is similar to credits in most games in available on the store.
The real-world goods and services they prohibit are things like you'd carry out of a store in a shopping bag, or having somebody carry that shopping bag. They don't allow the sale of tangible things, only electronic. Goods for sale should be transferrable between two different devices.
I don't think you can avoid in-app-purchase for what you're trying to deliver from inside the app.
I think your case is much like Skype iOS app. You will need to go through in-app purchase for your app as the credit will be used to make calls via app to other countries.