10 ms·

App Store Subscriptions

130 points by dirtyaura 10y ago

chrisan 10y ago
It's odd they are using Netflix as a poster child for this. Isn't 30->15% of your subscription really a big deal for them? I'm an audible, spotify, and netflix subscriber currently. I have to purchase (or use tokens) on their respective sites then I can stream the content in the app. What is the value add for companies like these to "take advantage" of an app store subscription?
- ktta 10y ago
  >What is the value add for companies like these to "take advantage" of an app store subscription? As I see it, none. But Apple would love getting netflix and spotify subscribers, since those services are ones that people stay on forever. Actually some companies DO NOT like it, because they might lose some users due to the pricing being bumped up 30% www.theverge.com/2015/7/8/8913105/spotify-apple-app-store-email www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection
numbsafari 10y ago
Apple needs to provide an API to allow developers to cancel a subscription on a user's behalf. Currently, the only way to do this is through the app store, and many customers find this very confusing, resulting in poor customer experience and a heavy support burden on developers. Many customers forget where they even sourced their subscription to begin with, especially if you have a multi-/omni-channel presence.
- tuna-piano 10y ago
  You mean the process to get to the subscription management page isn't intuitive? I'd actually be shocked if more than 3 people out of the 1 billion that have bought iOS devices have ever figured this out without Googling or being shown. "Tap View Apple ID", seriously? 1. On the Home screen, tap Settings. 2. Tap iTunes & App Store. 3. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen. 4. Tap View Apple ID. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039
  - LoSboccacc 10y ago
    depends on what will be on the person bank statement, if it's your company or apple. they will call you to cancel, not apple, if the statements say the charge is for your service apple isn't new to this kind of outsourcing
  - dandare 10y ago
    I keep watching in disbelief (from distance) how Apple more and more sucks at user experience. The next thing I know Microsoft will be releasing software that just works, lol.
    - skrebbel 10y ago
      They've been doing that for decades. As has Apple. Both have also been shipping crap software for decades. They're huge companies.
    - pavlov 10y ago
      The other day I tried to figure out how to change the 2nd city shown on the Apple Watch's default watchface. (There's a "world clock" feature that displays the time in another city in the corner of the watch screen.) Turns out that the process to do this involves first configuring the city in an app within the iPhone, and then on the watch doing a series of UI actions: a force-touch, a swipe, a tap and turning the "digital crown" to find the right city within a UI element that is a list although it doesn't look like one. Several of these actions are entirely undiscoverable (the force-touch and digital crown in these contexts are just actions you have to stumble on by trying all the possible combinations, I guess). I don't think there would have been any way to figure this out without googling it. And this is a feature that's prominently displayed in the default view of the Apple Watch screen, so it's perfectly reasonable to expect that users will want to change the city. It's hard to believe that this device was designed by the company famous for the one-button mouse. I do find the physical design attractive though.
      - dhimes 10y ago
        Actually, that's exactly the kind of shit you have to do when you only have one button. I was using my cousin's apple mouse one day and discovered context menus are found by touching or rubbing it on the front somehow (don't exactly remember a couple years later). Simple is great, but not when you try to make simple do complex.
- protomyth 10y ago
  That would almost require Apple to allow developers to have an actual direct relationship with the customers. As far as I can see, they are Apple's customers that you are just renting.
  - jsprogrammer 10y ago
    Wouldn't it just require an API call?
    - protomyth 10y ago
      Might want to know which user to put in the API call, and I'm pretty sure that would involve some lookup.
      - jsprogrammer 10y ago
        To service the subscription, you must be given some token? You should be able to hand that token to Apple and tell them to cancel the associated subscription.
        protomyth 10y ago
        That sounds right but the problem is how to associate the user with the token beyond something in your app. I just am not sure how I would go from a twitter support account to canceling the subscription.
        marklubi 10y ago
        Apple definitely provides you with unique details about the transaction and your system can verify whether renewal occurred or not. Wish they would add an API for cancelling. It would significantly reduce the number of rude emails we get from people if we could offer a cancel button in the app. However, it would not solve the issue of people that think that simply deleting the app will cancel the subscription, or dissuade people from insisting that we cancel the subscription for them.
      - 10y ago
- Jarred 10y ago
  I paid for YouTube Red under two different accounts for three months before realizing how to cancel it.
- mrmondo 10y ago
  As someone who's cancelled lots of subscriptions - I couldn't agree more, it's a right pain in the ass and the Apple website where you do unsubscribe is painfully slow (at least in Australia)
- fma 10y ago
  My dad somehow subscribed to some kind of HBO or something through the App Store..couldn't figure out how cancel. Ended up cancelling the credit card.
- xg15 10y ago
  Slightly redeeming, apparently devs can now at least transfer users directly to the "manage subscriptions" page: Rather than needing to code your own subscription management UI, your app can open the following URL: https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/manageSubscriptions https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/man... Opening this URL launches iTunes or iTunes Store, and then displays the Manage Subscription page. See: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StoreKitGuide/Chapters/Subscriptions.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008267-CH7-SW6 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Networ...
larrik 10y ago
Is this a new page? I thought these were a thing for a while.
- ihuman 10y ago
  Subscriptions have been around for a while, but recently Apple has been clarifying new, acceptable use cases for them.
xg15 10y ago
Auto-renewable subscriptions provide a simple way to offer free trials to users. I do like that Apple promotes the classic "let's hook them with a free trial and hope they forget to unsubscribe in time" dark pattern as an official use case. (Edit) Also: Even if a user cancels and resubscribes within 60 days, they will still accumulate days of service from the point where they lapsed. [...] As part of your overall subscription marketing plan, consider ways to win back lapsed subscribers with targeted messaging, such as email or in-app messaging, to communicate the value of your subscriptions and encourage users to resubscribe. So app developers are not just incentivized, Apple explicitly advises that they spam unsubscribers with notifications to win them back. Sounds great!
- tedmiston 10y ago
  Eh, call it what you want. I'm just happy to see free trials in iOS apps.
  - AlexandrB 10y ago
    Finally. Another 6 years and maybe we'll get upgrade pricing - something that's been available in mainstream software since the 90s.
- scarlac 10y ago
  In my experience, Apple actually warns about renewal before they renew. This is something I have yet to see with other major services. Hopefully it'll stay in and other services follows suit.
  - marklubi 10y ago
    I'm starting to question whether or not Apple still notifies users prior to all renewals... I have a handful of monthly subscriptions through the App Store, and currently, none of them notify me of the renewal before it occurs (I've checked my spam folder). When I first subscribed to an app a couple of years ago, I received notifications before renewals (that sub was a 6 month or 1 year term, I don't recall exactly). I also have an app that has offered subscriptions for almost 2 years. From end user reports recently (there weren't many issues about renewals until more recently), I'm getting the impression that Apple doesn't notify about upcoming subscription renewals unless the payment method Apple has on file is out of date, as we get quite a few emails asking about how to update payment information. We would certainly be interested in finding out what others (both end-users and app developers) have found in their experience.
mpweiher 10y ago
"Auto-renewable subscriptions provide a simple way to offer free trials to users." Not sure it said that before.
- ovao 10y ago
  On April 19th [0], it read: "If you have an app with auto-renewable subscriptions, you have the option of offering free trials to new users." [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20160419200531/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160419200531/https://developer...
cpr 10y ago
The free trial period is a huge win for developers, something we've been wanting since the beginning. (Though admittedly it's only for subscription-based pricing, but, let's admit it, one-time software purchases seem to be going the way of the dodo.)
- chipperyman573 10y ago
  How would trials work with one-time purchases?
  - krrrh 10y ago
    Download app for free, it works for n days then it displays a 'thanks for trying' screen unless you pay. Desktop "shareware" has worked like this for decades.
- archagon 10y ago
  > let's admit it, one-time software purchases seem to be going the way of the dodo. I don't think one-time software purchases are going anywhere. In fact, the more apps switch to ad-driven or subscription pricing, the easier it will be for (unique, interesting) apps with non-subscription pricing to market this to their advantage. I expect subscription-based revenue in the App Store will dry up for the vast majority of apps once users get over the novelty in a few years. Plus, some software simply cannot be subscription based by definition. Most non-AAA games are finished works with only maintenance updates in their future. Who would want to subscribe to that?
seibelj 10y ago
I hope to god they make testing them easier. If you set a subscription to annual, then your test account can only test it every hour (and it used to be every 4 hours).[0] Imagine during development and testing only being able to verify your code flow every hour! I changed to "non-renewing subscriptions" to avoid this, which are essentially one-time purchases that don't require using their ridiculously awful subscription API. [0] https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnectInAppPurchase_Guide/Chapters/TestingInAppPurchases.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013727-CH4-SW3 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Langua...
- asimuvPR 10y ago
  I recently had to work with it and drove me insane. Development sandboxes should be frictionless.
- orbitur 10y ago
  This is a dumb workaround, but you can also add a monthly auto-renewing subscription that's just for testing. It auto-renews every 3 or 5 minutes (I forget which), and expires after 15 minutes.
TheWiseOne2 10y ago
Google play has had this for years, welcome to 2013!
ourcat 10y ago
I wonder what the deal is with the fact that in the UK, everyone who uses the BBC iPlayer on any platform must now own a 'TV License' and pay £145 per year. Until yesterday, you could use the app to watch things on catch-up. Now the 'levy/subscription/tax/license' is mandatory. Is there a loophole they're using that I'm missing? eg: That they don't want to call it a 'subscription', even though that's exactly what is. (Well, more of a 'tax', but they hate calling it that too.)
- matthewmacleod 10y ago
  What's the problem? You're still perfectly able to provide service to customers who've already got a subscription; you are only denied the ability to offer them an opportunity to purchase that subscription from the app.
  - ourcat 10y ago
    No problem. Just wanting to clarify how it relates. So, since no one 'buys' a subscription 'through the app' then Apple can't demand a cut? Is that right? I thought there was an issue if an app provided content which was only consumable through a paid subscription. Which the iPlayer now is. (Though you don't need to log in to view it, but you'll be breaking the law if you do and you haven't paid.) ta.
    - ldjb 10y ago
      Yes, subscriptions to content that can be access through an iOS app aren't required to go through Apple (so long as they are purchased outside of the app), in which case Apple won't take a cut. Note that this is purely down to Apple allowing it — there's nothing stopping Apple from disallowing apps that do this, but to do so wouldn't be in Apple's interests. Also, the TV licence is officially a tax. Not that that really changes anything. Apple could still chuck BBC iPlayer off the App Store if they really wanted to, but they'd be crazy to do so.
      - ourcat 10y ago
redwards510 10y ago
> At the end of each subscription duration, the subscription will automatically renew until a user chooses to cancel it. What happens when a user dies? I mean, that does happen occasionally. Are the relatives on the hook to somehow email apple the death certificate to clear out their debts five years later? The issue of death on the internet is woefully overlooked. Perhaps there is an opportunity here for a startup to provide "closure services" where they settle all accounts.
- usaphp 10y ago
  Probably the same as what happens when for example a gym member dies? All your credit cards probably be closed and services won't be able to charge you anymore.
  - ProAm 10y ago
    Then you go to collections
    - lazerwalker 10y ago
      Presumably, when a credit card charge for a renewal of a recurring service fails, they don't send you to collections, they just cancel your account.
      - ProAm 10y ago
        You'd be surprised, many contracts have an auto-renew clause and you absolutely go to collections. If you are lucky they just cancel you.
    - boodm 10y ago
      The services are pre-paid. Apple is already in the 'subscription' category with the Apple TV. I subscribe (via the Apple TV) to Hulu and HBO. I remember magazines being the same, as well.
- nasalgoat 10y ago
AJRF 10y ago
This looks like it will result in dark patterns to try and get people to stay beyond the treshold for increased returns.
- eridius 10y ago
  What, offering enough value so the user subscribes for longer than a year? How is that a "dark pattern"?
  - AJRF 10y ago
    No.
- madeofpalk 10y ago
  I could get if the 'threshold' is a week - games could start timegating things by a few days. But really, we're talking about a year here. I feel its a long enough timeframe that mostly encourages good practices (like continuously providing value for subscribing customers).
koolba 10y ago
Let the lawsuits and squabbles over negative response billing for iOS apps begin!
koolba 10y ago
I want an option, as a consumer, that disables the ability to sign up for anything that has recurring billing. Yes it's possible to have no credit card at all on file for your itunes account (though they go out of their way for you to not realize that), but sometimes you may want to actually pay for an app too.
- jlg23 10y ago
  > Yes it's possible to have no credit card at all on file for your itunes account [-] though they go out of their way for you to not realize that Funnily I tried to give apple some money through the app store but made the mistake of signing up with my German credit card when living in LA and was lost in a "we cannot accept this German CC with a LA address"-limbo and never was offered a way out. So I now have a crapple account that one cannot put money into without some apparently lengthy verification process and I therefore can give my app store credentials to friends who just need some xcode update :D
Happpy 10y ago
Could you subscribe to receive/buy weekly/monthly coins(virtual currency)? Or is this only for app usage.
- aaronbrager 10y ago
  You can't use subscriptions for consumable purchases.
KenanSulayman 10y ago
"For apps currently offering subscriptions, note that if you raise prices before iOS 10 is available, customer notification will behave as it does today. We recommend holding on price increases until iOS 10 is available so your apps can take advantage of customer consent to price increase notifications."
edoceo 10y ago
I hope they don't force the use of this. I have a web app with subscription working now. Added an App that only works with existing subscription. What if I'm forced to this?
- chipperyman573 10y ago
  It'd be pretty hard to enforce for apps that are normally web-based but also have an app (they might just redevelop their website to be mobile friendly instead of needing an app) or apps that aren't just for iOS (it's easier to maintain one subscription service instead of two)
erickhill 10y ago
I love the opportunity this model provides. But for an existing app (that would greatly benefit from subscriptions and offers continuous new content daily) how to message this kind of switch w/o simply starting over seems, well, difficult to say the least. Unless you put one app "to bed" and start anew, how do others imagine taking advantage of this model? Or does it apply better to only new apps? Hard to say.
- aaronbrager 10y ago
  You can enable new features only to users with a subscription.
daemonhunter 10y ago
Apple and their ever-so-generous 30% take. As a multiple Apple product user, I still see that is horrible.
matt_m 10y ago
There's a lot of negativity around recurring payments but I'm excited about this model both as a developer and a consumer particularly on iPad. There's been a race to the bottom in pricing in mobile app stores, where a one-time payment equivalent to a cup of coffee can be seen as too expensive for an app costing tens of thousands of dollars (or more) in engineer time to make / support. Maybe as a result of this there's no shortage of micropayment or advertising based mobile games but the productivity space is not very competitive with Mac/PC where people don't blink at paying 10x that cost up front. If this can establish a middle ground where more app categories can find a sustainable business model including long term support and updates that could be very interesting, especially now that many apps might want to include cloud-based features where committing to support forever in exchange for a one-time payment might be a risky proposition.

130 points by dirtyaura 10y ago

It's odd they are using Netflix as a poster child for this. Isn't 30->15% of your subscription really a big deal for them? I'm an audible, spotify, and netflix subscriber currently. I have to purchase (or use tokens) on their respective sites then I can stream the content in the app. What is the value add for companies like these to "take advantage" of an app store subscription?

ktta 10y ago
>What is the value add for companies like these to "take advantage" of an app store subscription? As I see it, none. But Apple would love getting netflix and spotify subscribers, since those services are ones that people stay on forever. Actually some companies DO NOT like it, because they might lose some users due to the pricing being bumped up 30% www.theverge.com/2015/7/8/8913105/spotify-apple-app-store-email www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection

numbsafari 10y ago

Apple needs to provide an API to allow developers to cancel a subscription on a user's behalf. Currently, the only way to do this is through the app store, and many customers find this very confusing, resulting in poor customer experience and a heavy support burden on developers. Many customers forget where they even sourced their subscription to begin with, especially if you have a multi-/omni-channel presence.

tuna-piano 10y ago
You mean the process to get to the subscription management page isn't intuitive? I'd actually be shocked if more than 3 people out of the 1 billion that have bought iOS devices have ever figured this out without Googling or being shown. "Tap View Apple ID", seriously? 1. On the Home screen, tap Settings. 2. Tap iTunes & App Store. 3. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen. 4. Tap View Apple ID. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039
- LoSboccacc 10y ago
  depends on what will be on the person bank statement, if it's your company or apple. they will call you to cancel, not apple, if the statements say the charge is for your service apple isn't new to this kind of outsourcing
- dandare 10y ago
  I keep watching in disbelief (from distance) how Apple more and more sucks at user experience. The next thing I know Microsoft will be releasing software that just works, lol.
  - skrebbel 10y ago
    They've been doing that for decades. As has Apple. Both have also been shipping crap software for decades. They're huge companies.
  - pavlov 10y ago
    The other day I tried to figure out how to change the 2nd city shown on the Apple Watch's default watchface. (There's a "world clock" feature that displays the time in another city in the corner of the watch screen.) Turns out that the process to do this involves first configuring the city in an app within the iPhone, and then on the watch doing a series of UI actions: a force-touch, a swipe, a tap and turning the "digital crown" to find the right city within a UI element that is a list although it doesn't look like one. Several of these actions are entirely undiscoverable (the force-touch and digital crown in these contexts are just actions you have to stumble on by trying all the possible combinations, I guess). I don't think there would have been any way to figure this out without googling it. And this is a feature that's prominently displayed in the default view of the Apple Watch screen, so it's perfectly reasonable to expect that users will want to change the city. It's hard to believe that this device was designed by the company famous for the one-button mouse. I do find the physical design attractive though.
    - dhimes 10y ago
      Actually, that's exactly the kind of shit you have to do when you only have one button. I was using my cousin's apple mouse one day and discovered context menus are found by touching or rubbing it on the front somehow (don't exactly remember a couple years later). Simple is great, but not when you try to make simple do complex.
protomyth 10y ago
That would almost require Apple to allow developers to have an actual direct relationship with the customers. As far as I can see, they are Apple's customers that you are just renting.
- jsprogrammer 10y ago
  Wouldn't it just require an API call?
  - protomyth 10y ago
    Might want to know which user to put in the API call, and I'm pretty sure that would involve some lookup.
    - jsprogrammer 10y ago
      To service the subscription, you must be given some token? You should be able to hand that token to Apple and tell them to cancel the associated subscription.
      - protomyth 10y ago
        That sounds right but the problem is how to associate the user with the token beyond something in your app. I just am not sure how I would go from a twitter support account to canceling the subscription.
      - marklubi 10y ago
        Apple definitely provides you with unique details about the transaction and your system can verify whether renewal occurred or not. Wish they would add an API for cancelling. It would significantly reduce the number of rude emails we get from people if we could offer a cancel button in the app. However, it would not solve the issue of people that think that simply deleting the app will cancel the subscription, or dissuade people from insisting that we cancel the subscription for them.
    - 10y ago
Jarred 10y ago
I paid for YouTube Red under two different accounts for three months before realizing how to cancel it.
mrmondo 10y ago
As someone who's cancelled lots of subscriptions - I couldn't agree more, it's a right pain in the ass and the Apple website where you do unsubscribe is painfully slow (at least in Australia)
fma 10y ago
My dad somehow subscribed to some kind of HBO or something through the App Store..couldn't figure out how cancel. Ended up cancelling the credit card.
xg15 10y ago
Slightly redeeming, apparently devs can now at least transfer users directly to the "manage subscriptions" page: Rather than needing to code your own subscription management UI, your app can open the following URL: https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/manageSubscriptions https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/man... Opening this URL launches iTunes or iTunes Store, and then displays the Manage Subscription page. See: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StoreKitGuide/Chapters/Subscriptions.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008267-CH7-SW6 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Networ...

larrik 10y ago

Is this a new page? I thought these were a thing for a while.

ihuman 10y ago
Subscriptions have been around for a while, but recently Apple has been clarifying new, acceptable use cases for them.

xg15 10y ago

Auto-renewable subscriptions provide a simple way to offer free trials to users. I do like that Apple promotes the classic "let's hook them with a free trial and hope they forget to unsubscribe in time" dark pattern as an official use case. (Edit) Also: Even if a user cancels and resubscribes within 60 days, they will still accumulate days of service from the point where they lapsed. [...] As part of your overall subscription marketing plan, consider ways to win back lapsed subscribers with targeted messaging, such as email or in-app messaging, to communicate the value of your subscriptions and encourage users to resubscribe. So app developers are not just incentivized, Apple explicitly advises that they spam unsubscribers with notifications to win them back. Sounds great!

tedmiston 10y ago
Eh, call it what you want. I'm just happy to see free trials in iOS apps.
- AlexandrB 10y ago
  Finally. Another 6 years and maybe we'll get upgrade pricing - something that's been available in mainstream software since the 90s.
scarlac 10y ago
In my experience, Apple actually warns about renewal before they renew. This is something I have yet to see with other major services. Hopefully it'll stay in and other services follows suit.
- marklubi 10y ago
  I'm starting to question whether or not Apple still notifies users prior to all renewals... I have a handful of monthly subscriptions through the App Store, and currently, none of them notify me of the renewal before it occurs (I've checked my spam folder). When I first subscribed to an app a couple of years ago, I received notifications before renewals (that sub was a 6 month or 1 year term, I don't recall exactly). I also have an app that has offered subscriptions for almost 2 years. From end user reports recently (there weren't many issues about renewals until more recently), I'm getting the impression that Apple doesn't notify about upcoming subscription renewals unless the payment method Apple has on file is out of date, as we get quite a few emails asking about how to update payment information. We would certainly be interested in finding out what others (both end-users and app developers) have found in their experience.

mpweiher 10y ago

"Auto-renewable subscriptions provide a simple way to offer free trials to users." Not sure it said that before.

ovao 10y ago
On April 19th [0], it read: "If you have an app with auto-renewable subscriptions, you have the option of offering free trials to new users." [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20160419200531/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160419200531/https://developer...

cpr 10y ago

The free trial period is a huge win for developers, something we've been wanting since the beginning. (Though admittedly it's only for subscription-based pricing, but, let's admit it, one-time software purchases seem to be going the way of the dodo.)

chipperyman573 10y ago
How would trials work with one-time purchases?
- krrrh 10y ago
  Download app for free, it works for n days then it displays a 'thanks for trying' screen unless you pay. Desktop "shareware" has worked like this for decades.
archagon 10y ago
> let's admit it, one-time software purchases seem to be going the way of the dodo. I don't think one-time software purchases are going anywhere. In fact, the more apps switch to ad-driven or subscription pricing, the easier it will be for (unique, interesting) apps with non-subscription pricing to market this to their advantage. I expect subscription-based revenue in the App Store will dry up for the vast majority of apps once users get over the novelty in a few years. Plus, some software simply cannot be subscription based by definition. Most non-AAA games are finished works with only maintenance updates in their future. Who would want to subscribe to that?

seibelj 10y ago

I hope to god they make testing them easier. If you set a subscription to annual, then your test account can only test it every hour (and it used to be every 4 hours).[0] Imagine during development and testing only being able to verify your code flow every hour! I changed to "non-renewing subscriptions" to avoid this, which are essentially one-time purchases that don't require using their ridiculously awful subscription API. [0] https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnectInAppPurchase_Guide/Chapters/TestingInAppPurchases.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013727-CH4-SW3 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Langua...

asimuvPR 10y ago
I recently had to work with it and drove me insane. Development sandboxes should be frictionless.
orbitur 10y ago
This is a dumb workaround, but you can also add a monthly auto-renewing subscription that's just for testing. It auto-renews every 3 or 5 minutes (I forget which), and expires after 15 minutes.

TheWiseOne2 10y ago

Google play has had this for years, welcome to 2013!

ourcat 10y ago

I wonder what the deal is with the fact that in the UK, everyone who uses the BBC iPlayer on any platform must now own a 'TV License' and pay £145 per year. Until yesterday, you could use the app to watch things on catch-up. Now the 'levy/subscription/tax/license' is mandatory. Is there a loophole they're using that I'm missing? eg: That they don't want to call it a 'subscription', even though that's exactly what is. (Well, more of a 'tax', but they hate calling it that too.)

matthewmacleod 10y ago
What's the problem? You're still perfectly able to provide service to customers who've already got a subscription; you are only denied the ability to offer them an opportunity to purchase that subscription from the app.
- ourcat 10y ago
  No problem. Just wanting to clarify how it relates. So, since no one 'buys' a subscription 'through the app' then Apple can't demand a cut? Is that right? I thought there was an issue if an app provided content which was only consumable through a paid subscription. Which the iPlayer now is. (Though you don't need to log in to view it, but you'll be breaking the law if you do and you haven't paid.) ta.
  - ldjb 10y ago
    Yes, subscriptions to content that can be access through an iOS app aren't required to go through Apple (so long as they are purchased outside of the app), in which case Apple won't take a cut. Note that this is purely down to Apple allowing it — there's nothing stopping Apple from disallowing apps that do this, but to do so wouldn't be in Apple's interests. Also, the TV licence is officially a tax. Not that that really changes anything. Apple could still chuck BBC iPlayer off the App Store if they really wanted to, but they'd be crazy to do so.
    - ourcat 10y ago

redwards510 10y ago

> At the end of each subscription duration, the subscription will automatically renew until a user chooses to cancel it. What happens when a user dies? I mean, that does happen occasionally. Are the relatives on the hook to somehow email apple the death certificate to clear out their debts five years later? The issue of death on the internet is woefully overlooked. Perhaps there is an opportunity here for a startup to provide "closure services" where they settle all accounts.

usaphp 10y ago
Probably the same as what happens when for example a gym member dies? All your credit cards probably be closed and services won't be able to charge you anymore.
- ProAm 10y ago
  Then you go to collections
  - lazerwalker 10y ago
    Presumably, when a credit card charge for a renewal of a recurring service fails, they don't send you to collections, they just cancel your account.
    - ProAm 10y ago
      You'd be surprised, many contracts have an auto-renew clause and you absolutely go to collections. If you are lucky they just cancel you.
  - boodm 10y ago
    The services are pre-paid. Apple is already in the 'subscription' category with the Apple TV. I subscribe (via the Apple TV) to Hulu and HBO. I remember magazines being the same, as well.
nasalgoat 10y ago

AJRF 10y ago

This looks like it will result in dark patterns to try and get people to stay beyond the treshold for increased returns.

eridius 10y ago
What, offering enough value so the user subscribes for longer than a year? How is that a "dark pattern"?
- AJRF 10y ago
  No.
madeofpalk 10y ago
I could get if the 'threshold' is a week - games could start timegating things by a few days. But really, we're talking about a year here. I feel its a long enough timeframe that mostly encourages good practices (like continuously providing value for subscribing customers).

koolba 10y ago

Let the lawsuits and squabbles over negative response billing for iOS apps begin!

koolba 10y ago

I want an option, as a consumer, that disables the ability to sign up for anything that has recurring billing. Yes it's possible to have no credit card at all on file for your itunes account (though they go out of their way for you to not realize that), but sometimes you may want to actually pay for an app too.

jlg23 10y ago
> Yes it's possible to have no credit card at all on file for your itunes account [-] though they go out of their way for you to not realize that Funnily I tried to give apple some money through the app store but made the mistake of signing up with my German credit card when living in LA and was lost in a "we cannot accept this German CC with a LA address"-limbo and never was offered a way out. So I now have a crapple account that one cannot put money into without some apparently lengthy verification process and I therefore can give my app store credentials to friends who just need some xcode update :D

Happpy 10y ago

Could you subscribe to receive/buy weekly/monthly coins(virtual currency)? Or is this only for app usage.

aaronbrager 10y ago
You can't use subscriptions for consumable purchases.

KenanSulayman 10y ago

"For apps currently offering subscriptions, note that if you raise prices before iOS 10 is available, customer notification will behave as it does today. We recommend holding on price increases until iOS 10 is available so your apps can take advantage of customer consent to price increase notifications."

edoceo 10y ago

I hope they don't force the use of this. I have a web app with subscription working now. Added an App that only works with existing subscription. What if I'm forced to this?

chipperyman573 10y ago
It'd be pretty hard to enforce for apps that are normally web-based but also have an app (they might just redevelop their website to be mobile friendly instead of needing an app) or apps that aren't just for iOS (it's easier to maintain one subscription service instead of two)

erickhill 10y ago

I love the opportunity this model provides. But for an existing app (that would greatly benefit from subscriptions and offers continuous new content daily) how to message this kind of switch w/o simply starting over seems, well, difficult to say the least. Unless you put one app "to bed" and start anew, how do others imagine taking advantage of this model? Or does it apply better to only new apps? Hard to say.

aaronbrager 10y ago
You can enable new features only to users with a subscription.

daemonhunter 10y ago

Apple and their ever-so-generous 30% take. As a multiple Apple product user, I still see that is horrible.

matt_m 10y ago

There's a lot of negativity around recurring payments but I'm excited about this model both as a developer and a consumer particularly on iPad. There's been a race to the bottom in pricing in mobile app stores, where a one-time payment equivalent to a cup of coffee can be seen as too expensive for an app costing tens of thousands of dollars (or more) in engineer time to make / support. Maybe as a result of this there's no shortage of micropayment or advertising based mobile games but the productivity space is not very competitive with Mac/PC where people don't blink at paying 10x that cost up front. If this can establish a middle ground where more app categories can find a sustainable business model including long term support and updates that could be very interesting, especially now that many apps might want to include cloud-based features where committing to support forever in exchange for a one-time payment might be a risky proposition.