Business Models

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Discuss various ways to structure your app, such as freemium or paid.

Posts under Business Models tag

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Promoting the paid app from the "lite" version
Hello, let's say that at a certain point I have two published apps on the App Store. One is the main iOS application, that is a paid app, and the other is a limited version of the main one, like a "lite" version. Let's say that they are both published because the lite version was accepted by the reviewers (indeed it is what should happen). The lite version is a complimentary app that can be used for just using the main functions when some third party provided you the content. But some users could be interested in having the complete version to be able to author or edit the content themselves. I would like to know if it is acceptable that in the "lite" app -there is a button clearly pointing to the App Store page of the main app -a menu entry -a hyper-link in the guide. -other options Thanks
1
0
1.3k
Feb ’22
Retrieving app first installation date/build ever for a single user on any device
I would like to know if a function is available in Swift or Objective-C for an iOS 14+ application to retrieve the very first installation date of the app from the App Store on any device. It would be useful for me to grant full access to the app features in the case I introduce the freemium model for my app. I asked aboout this change here Free app introducing in-app purchase for some features I want to grant the full functionality to users that installed the free version as I pointed out in a further comment, but no one answered. I do not know if this is possible without App Store server interrogation, I mean with just an information that is on the device registry because the app is installed, and refers to the first installation ever, not on this device alone, and not being lost with factory reset procedure or similar. Alternately another useful information would be the most ancient app version or build number that the user got from the App Store ever. Some suggest to deploy an intermediate version that stores the app version or build number in some persistent user data location. Thanks
0
1
1.4k
Feb ’22
How do I pass a value to a Class: ObservableObject a View?
Here is my ObservableObject Class I want to get a category based on which I will initialize the source with a trimmed list: //UsersViewModel.swift class UsersViewModel: ObservableObject { @Published var users: [User] @Published var category: String init(category: String) { self.category = category self.users = UserData().getUsers(byCategory: category) } } This is my View //UserListByCategory.swift import SwiftUI struct UserListByCategory: View { @EnvironmentObject var ud: UsersViewModel var body: some View { Text("Hello") } } struct UserListByCategory_Previews: PreviewProvider { static var previews: some View { UserListByCategory() .environmentObject(UsersViewModel(category: "Office")) } } I'm hardcoding the "Office" here, but is there a way to pass this to the Class?
0
0
910
Jan ’22
Free App for Web Application subscription
How does publishing a free app work when it is tied to a paid website? We have built a web application that our users subscribe to for property management. We have built an app that helps our users when they are away from their PC. Right now the app is on test flight. What needs to happen in order to get it on the live Apple store? What fees will Apple want besides the $99?
0
0
903
Jan ’22
How do you properly add multiple App Icons inside Xcode for Product Page Optimization Tests?
In Xcode how do you add multiple App Icons to test with Product Page Optimization? The video mentions to add it to your binary but with no clear instructions on the right way to go about it. In general inside your Assets folder in Xcode you already have AppIcon which you add your apps icon there. Do we go ahead and create another AppIcon like the image below? If so what do we name it? Thank you
5
0
6.9k
Dec ’21
Custom business trading app, possible rejection ?
We have a web app involving trading virtual token. Users create account and are given a virtual wallet. They feed wallet with real money via credit card or bank transfer. Then, they buy our virtual token with their wallet credit and we collect fees at each purchase. We use banking API for money transfer and management. We also plan to put our token on blockchain(s) and trade via cryptocurrencies. 2 questions : if we develop an iOS app and distribute it on AppStore, will Apple accept such features and not reject this business ? will Apple’s commission of 30% apply on purchases or transfers ?
2
0
992
Dec ’21
Sandbox URL for App Store Server Notification
In this session at 21:06, a new section for App Store Server Notification urls is shown with the new option to specify a Sandbox URL as well as a Production URL. Shortly after that point in the video it is mentioned that "these changes" are rolling out later this year. My question is whether "these changes" includes this new configuration option to specify a Sandbox URL. If so, can we get any more specific about when "later this year" is? If not, I'm not seeing those changes now, so when will they be rolled out?
4
0
4.2k
Nov ’21
Including an IAP with an App at the point of download
Hi all, I'm creating an app that breaks pieces of it into a bunch of IAPs. I'm planning on offering a one week trial of one of the pieces. Currently I'm handling this by creating a consumable IAP that the app grants the user at the start of runtime of the app. That seems to be working, as it grants the IAP, and the IAP expires after the set time for the trial expires. What I'm wondering is if it is possible to include the consumable at the time of downloading the app so that a user does not get prompted to enter in their Apple ID and password from within the app to receive the consumable. Due to some certifications my app will need to meet, the granting of the trial IAP needs to be a seamless process once the app is running on the device, and any prompts for a user's Apple credentials need to be locked behind an age gate.
0
0
662
Nov ’21
Remove paid feature
We have a feature in an app by which users can visualize maps. Users must pay for the specific maps they want. Can we remove (even if only temporarily) the feature for map visualization? The crux of the issue is that without this feature, the maps purchased by users are of no use —at least until we're in a position (maybe in a month or so) to put the feature back in. Even if we manage this correctly and communicate the temporary situation to our customers, will Apple have anything to say about this? Could the release be blocked during review? I've read this (see below) but it doesn't seem to cover this particular scenario. Notice we're not removing the subscriptions, and users pay for the content, not for the feature. It's just that the content they've paid for will be temporarily unavailable until the feature is reintroduced. https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev636f037c8
0
0
692
Nov ’21
What is the correct way to validate auto renew subscription?
Hi, I'm implementing an auto renew subscription in my app. I tried to figure out how to validate and get notified about any changes in users subscription status, and I found so much ways to do it. What is the difference between those: a. /validateReceipt b. appstore API (for example inApps/v1/history/{originalTransactionId}) c. apple notifications service, with the webhook url in the appstore connect information. Do I need to use all of the above methods in order to make my auto renew subscriptions 100% hermetic?
1
0
2.5k
Oct ’21
Switch from paid app to subscription - will current users be affected?
We have a paid app as of right now, but would like to change the business model to subscription-based. Will the change from paid app to subscription affect our current users? Surely they have bought the app "for life" and will not be required to start a subscription? We of course don't the backlash of unhappy users, who have already paid for the app. Would very much appreciate some input! /Evelina, BabyNaps app
0
0
678
Sep ’21
IOS 15, Wallet and office keys
It has been some time since WWDC and first beta and couldn't find any information about iOS 15 new features to integrate office keys into Wallet. Is this feature live in iOS 15.0 or is it coming later this year? We are highly interested in this feature to offer access control features to our customers but it seems there are no information about Wallet improvements mentioned on WWDC 10092
0
0
1.4k
Sep ’21
Developing for another company through another company
Hi, We have just signed up for the Apple developer program as a company, and we would like to develop an application for our clients. The current application is not on the App store, so there is no "transfer" to do, per say. The customer has his developer account as well, so we want them to add our company as a whole on their account so we can "do the work of publishing" for them. We will manage who has the rights to test, develop and publish apps for the client. In the past, each developer created their own developer account using their own email address. The clients then added the individual account in their developer program. There are 2 problems that we're trying to address: We have multiple developers working on the same project and we would like to release new versions with our company's credentials rather than the individual's account. Over time, some employees have left our company and we no longer have access to our clients' developer accounts to make updates without their intervention. How can our clients add our organization so we can manage the clients' applications. Thanks for all your help.
0
0
839
Sep ’21
Can we use "In App Purchase Credit and use the credit to redeem reality gift" as our business model?
Our app is currently rejected by the AppStore review by violating the guideline. "Guideline 3.2.2 - Business - Other Business Model Issues - Unacceptable The primary purpose of your app is to encourage users to watch ads or perform marketing-oriented tasks, which is not appropriate for the App Store. Next Steps We encourage you to review your app concept and incorporate different content and features that are in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.“ At first, our app requires users to play a game and get the reality gifts according to the score. But this concept is rejected so I want to confirm that "In-App Purchase Credit and use the credit to redeem reality gift" does not violate the guideline. Appreciate for any help.
0
0
560
Sep ’21
Storekit new API on server vs Storekit 1 on clients.
I am just curious, if my clients still purchase through the old API, but do my validations on server side with Storekit 2, could the clients for an instance, start sending their receipt encrypted with JWS to my server so I can take advantage of this security addition plus the rest of the new server notifications, transaction history and all the new goodies. My reason for this case is that I cannot drop previous iOS version support thus gotta stick with Storekit 1 for some time.
1
0
1.4k
Sep ’21
Restricting app access to external employees
We're building an app for a client that is providing emergency services to employees of businesses that have insurance policies with our client (it's a value added service they're providing to their clients). The issue is, they only want the employees of their clients to be able to register on the app. At the moment, once the user downloads the app and enters their details our client gets a notification which allows them to approve or deny the user access to the app. (This is working fine on the Google Play Store). I'd like to know whether this model is support by the Apple App Store and if so which program should we enroll in? Our current thoughts are to have our client create a business manager account use the VPP to send vouchers to specific users, but we're not sure if there is a better way forward.
0
0
558
Sep ’21
Avoid Business Manager for private app
We are developing an app which will be used by a select set of registered users that are accepted or denied by our customers using our web app. We are now seeing some obstacles in the review process where Apple is asking us to use Apple Business Manager. This would complicate our sign up and authentication process since not all users will be employees of the company but in some cases contractors. What is the best approach for distributing such an app to apple devices?
0
0
699
Aug ’21
Promoting the paid app from the "lite" version
Hello, let's say that at a certain point I have two published apps on the App Store. One is the main iOS application, that is a paid app, and the other is a limited version of the main one, like a "lite" version. Let's say that they are both published because the lite version was accepted by the reviewers (indeed it is what should happen). The lite version is a complimentary app that can be used for just using the main functions when some third party provided you the content. But some users could be interested in having the complete version to be able to author or edit the content themselves. I would like to know if it is acceptable that in the "lite" app -there is a button clearly pointing to the App Store page of the main app -a menu entry -a hyper-link in the guide. -other options Thanks
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.3k
Activity
Feb ’22
Retrieving app first installation date/build ever for a single user on any device
I would like to know if a function is available in Swift or Objective-C for an iOS 14+ application to retrieve the very first installation date of the app from the App Store on any device. It would be useful for me to grant full access to the app features in the case I introduce the freemium model for my app. I asked aboout this change here Free app introducing in-app purchase for some features I want to grant the full functionality to users that installed the free version as I pointed out in a further comment, but no one answered. I do not know if this is possible without App Store server interrogation, I mean with just an information that is on the device registry because the app is installed, and refers to the first installation ever, not on this device alone, and not being lost with factory reset procedure or similar. Alternately another useful information would be the most ancient app version or build number that the user got from the App Store ever. Some suggest to deploy an intermediate version that stores the app version or build number in some persistent user data location. Thanks
Replies
0
Boosts
1
Views
1.4k
Activity
Feb ’22
How do I pass a value to a Class: ObservableObject a View?
Here is my ObservableObject Class I want to get a category based on which I will initialize the source with a trimmed list: //UsersViewModel.swift class UsersViewModel: ObservableObject { @Published var users: [User] @Published var category: String init(category: String) { self.category = category self.users = UserData().getUsers(byCategory: category) } } This is my View //UserListByCategory.swift import SwiftUI struct UserListByCategory: View { @EnvironmentObject var ud: UsersViewModel var body: some View { Text("Hello") } } struct UserListByCategory_Previews: PreviewProvider { static var previews: some View { UserListByCategory() .environmentObject(UsersViewModel(category: "Office")) } } I'm hardcoding the "Office" here, but is there a way to pass this to the Class?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
910
Activity
Jan ’22
Free App for Web Application subscription
How does publishing a free app work when it is tied to a paid website? We have built a web application that our users subscribe to for property management. We have built an app that helps our users when they are away from their PC. Right now the app is on test flight. What needs to happen in order to get it on the live Apple store? What fees will Apple want besides the $99?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
903
Activity
Jan ’22
Subscription status api call - Query related to JWS token
Hello I'm trying to implement the storekit api https://api.storekit.itunes.apple.com/inApps/v1/subscriptions/{originalTransactionId} there for the JWT token is there any way we can retrieve the JWS directly in the decoded format without having to use an external library to get the token or decode it back?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
1.1k
Activity
Dec ’21
How do you properly add multiple App Icons inside Xcode for Product Page Optimization Tests?
In Xcode how do you add multiple App Icons to test with Product Page Optimization? The video mentions to add it to your binary but with no clear instructions on the right way to go about it. In general inside your Assets folder in Xcode you already have AppIcon which you add your apps icon there. Do we go ahead and create another AppIcon like the image below? If so what do we name it? Thank you
Replies
5
Boosts
0
Views
6.9k
Activity
Dec ’21
Custom business trading app, possible rejection ?
We have a web app involving trading virtual token. Users create account and are given a virtual wallet. They feed wallet with real money via credit card or bank transfer. Then, they buy our virtual token with their wallet credit and we collect fees at each purchase. We use banking API for money transfer and management. We also plan to put our token on blockchain(s) and trade via cryptocurrencies. 2 questions : if we develop an iOS app and distribute it on AppStore, will Apple accept such features and not reject this business ? will Apple’s commission of 30% apply on purchases or transfers ?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
992
Activity
Dec ’21
Sandbox URL for App Store Server Notification
In this session at 21:06, a new section for App Store Server Notification urls is shown with the new option to specify a Sandbox URL as well as a Production URL. Shortly after that point in the video it is mentioned that "these changes" are rolling out later this year. My question is whether "these changes" includes this new configuration option to specify a Sandbox URL. If so, can we get any more specific about when "later this year" is? If not, I'm not seeing those changes now, so when will they be rolled out?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
4.2k
Activity
Nov ’21
Including an IAP with an App at the point of download
Hi all, I'm creating an app that breaks pieces of it into a bunch of IAPs. I'm planning on offering a one week trial of one of the pieces. Currently I'm handling this by creating a consumable IAP that the app grants the user at the start of runtime of the app. That seems to be working, as it grants the IAP, and the IAP expires after the set time for the trial expires. What I'm wondering is if it is possible to include the consumable at the time of downloading the app so that a user does not get prompted to enter in their Apple ID and password from within the app to receive the consumable. Due to some certifications my app will need to meet, the granting of the trial IAP needs to be a seamless process once the app is running on the device, and any prompts for a user's Apple credentials need to be locked behind an age gate.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
662
Activity
Nov ’21
Remove paid feature
We have a feature in an app by which users can visualize maps. Users must pay for the specific maps they want. Can we remove (even if only temporarily) the feature for map visualization? The crux of the issue is that without this feature, the maps purchased by users are of no use —at least until we're in a position (maybe in a month or so) to put the feature back in. Even if we manage this correctly and communicate the temporary situation to our customers, will Apple have anything to say about this? Could the release be blocked during review? I've read this (see below) but it doesn't seem to cover this particular scenario. Notice we're not removing the subscriptions, and users pay for the content, not for the feature. It's just that the content they've paid for will be temporarily unavailable until the feature is reintroduced. https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev636f037c8
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
692
Activity
Nov ’21
Is the lastTransactions array sorted by date?
Hi. I'm using the apple API to validate the originalTransactionId I'm getting from the client. I also want to use the expireDate that comes from the last transaction. Can I trust the fact that the first element in the lastTransactions is actually the last transaction?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.2k
Activity
Nov ’21
custom product page launch
Hi! Is custom product page feature is launched? If so, can you let me know if it's possible to use? thanks
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
744
Activity
Oct ’21
What is the correct way to validate auto renew subscription?
Hi, I'm implementing an auto renew subscription in my app. I tried to figure out how to validate and get notified about any changes in users subscription status, and I found so much ways to do it. What is the difference between those: a. /validateReceipt b. appstore API (for example inApps/v1/history/{originalTransactionId}) c. apple notifications service, with the webhook url in the appstore connect information. Do I need to use all of the above methods in order to make my auto renew subscriptions 100% hermetic?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
2.5k
Activity
Oct ’21
Switch from paid app to subscription - will current users be affected?
We have a paid app as of right now, but would like to change the business model to subscription-based. Will the change from paid app to subscription affect our current users? Surely they have bought the app "for life" and will not be required to start a subscription? We of course don't the backlash of unhappy users, who have already paid for the app. Would very much appreciate some input! /Evelina, BabyNaps app
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
678
Activity
Sep ’21
IOS 15, Wallet and office keys
It has been some time since WWDC and first beta and couldn't find any information about iOS 15 new features to integrate office keys into Wallet. Is this feature live in iOS 15.0 or is it coming later this year? We are highly interested in this feature to offer access control features to our customers but it seems there are no information about Wallet improvements mentioned on WWDC 10092
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
1.4k
Activity
Sep ’21
Developing for another company through another company
Hi, We have just signed up for the Apple developer program as a company, and we would like to develop an application for our clients. The current application is not on the App store, so there is no "transfer" to do, per say. The customer has his developer account as well, so we want them to add our company as a whole on their account so we can "do the work of publishing" for them. We will manage who has the rights to test, develop and publish apps for the client. In the past, each developer created their own developer account using their own email address. The clients then added the individual account in their developer program. There are 2 problems that we're trying to address: We have multiple developers working on the same project and we would like to release new versions with our company's credentials rather than the individual's account. Over time, some employees have left our company and we no longer have access to our clients' developer accounts to make updates without their intervention. How can our clients add our organization so we can manage the clients' applications. Thanks for all your help.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
839
Activity
Sep ’21
Can we use "In App Purchase Credit and use the credit to redeem reality gift" as our business model?
Our app is currently rejected by the AppStore review by violating the guideline. "Guideline 3.2.2 - Business - Other Business Model Issues - Unacceptable The primary purpose of your app is to encourage users to watch ads or perform marketing-oriented tasks, which is not appropriate for the App Store. Next Steps We encourage you to review your app concept and incorporate different content and features that are in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.“ At first, our app requires users to play a game and get the reality gifts according to the score. But this concept is rejected so I want to confirm that "In-App Purchase Credit and use the credit to redeem reality gift" does not violate the guideline. Appreciate for any help.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
560
Activity
Sep ’21
Storekit new API on server vs Storekit 1 on clients.
I am just curious, if my clients still purchase through the old API, but do my validations on server side with Storekit 2, could the clients for an instance, start sending their receipt encrypted with JWS to my server so I can take advantage of this security addition plus the rest of the new server notifications, transaction history and all the new goodies. My reason for this case is that I cannot drop previous iOS version support thus gotta stick with Storekit 1 for some time.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.4k
Activity
Sep ’21
Restricting app access to external employees
We're building an app for a client that is providing emergency services to employees of businesses that have insurance policies with our client (it's a value added service they're providing to their clients). The issue is, they only want the employees of their clients to be able to register on the app. At the moment, once the user downloads the app and enters their details our client gets a notification which allows them to approve or deny the user access to the app. (This is working fine on the Google Play Store). I'd like to know whether this model is support by the Apple App Store and if so which program should we enroll in? Our current thoughts are to have our client create a business manager account use the VPP to send vouchers to specific users, but we're not sure if there is a better way forward.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
558
Activity
Sep ’21
Avoid Business Manager for private app
We are developing an app which will be used by a select set of registered users that are accepted or denied by our customers using our web app. We are now seeing some obstacles in the review process where Apple is asking us to use Apple Business Manager. This would complicate our sign up and authentication process since not all users will be employees of the company but in some cases contractors. What is the best approach for distributing such an app to apple devices?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
699
Activity
Aug ’21