Membership to make in-app purchases free

Question

Created Jul ’15

Replies 3

Boosts 0

Participants 1

Hi,

We are developing an Audio tour application for a tour comppany in which the app itself is free and users will in-app purchase audio tours (example: New York Walking Audio tour, Las Vegas walking audio tour). Our issue is that we would like to offer the audio-tours for FREE if the user is an existing customer of the tour company.

We looked into doing promotion codes for in-app purchases but it seems this mechanism is not available by Apple nor are you allowed to roll out your own.

I'm wondering if we can provide a members-only login within the application. If a user logins in, the in-app purchases become FREE - they don't go to the store but actually just do a straight download. Apple doesn't provide guidance on this matter for us and we are wondering if anyone has experience around this or something similar.

Scott

Boost

Answer 1

PBK OP

Jul ’15

If the content is downloaded through the Apple servers you have a problem. The problem is that the membership is purchased outside of IAP and you are using Apple resources to provide and handle (e.g. MKMapView?) the content. If the content is downloaded through a system other than the Apple servers and all you are doing in the app is playing the content then you might be able to operate under 11.14.

0

Answer 2

uxder OP

Jul ’15

Thanks PBK. Yeah the tour contents (including images of the tour, text-content and audio files) are downloaded from our own servers and then installed onto the user's device. For normal users, we just do an in-app purchase and then call our servers to download the content when the purchase is complete. For members, we would just allow them to bypass the iAP. (Note it's a not streaming but actually, downloading content).

We do display a map and play the audio inside the app so it is using resources to handle the content if that is what you mean....

11.14 reads:

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

It seems a bit borderline but I'm not sure of an alternative.

0

Answer 3

PBK OP

Jul ’15

Borderline indeed. The audio is ok as 11.14 says "Apps can.... play...(specifically....audio...)". The mapping is on that border because the "specifically" list does not include "map locations" and so you would need to argue that maps are sort of like 'magazine graphics' and just like the app under 11.14 is allowed to display the graphics in the magazine it should be allowed to display the locations on a map. Good luck.

0