70/30 Split Question for Personal Training App

Sounds like real-world goods, which are not allowed to be sold using Apple's In App Purchasing API, which means fees/charges/payments would take place outside the app which would mean no 70/30 split.

See the App Store Review Guidelines / Section 11 Purchasing and currencies

You would need to set it up through PayPal or a Credit Card because, as KMT said, Apple does not allow in-app purchases for things that are not in the application.

Hi KMT,

Thank you for your repsonse but to clarify, the app is for remote personal training meaning that there would be no personal training that physically takes place between the trainer and the client outside of the app. All training would be done through the iPhone with messages, videochat, workout routines for the client, etc. I want to know if the personal trainer can charge their clients using the Apple payment system within the app and if so, would it be subject to the 70/30 split? Thank you.

You were clear the first time so no need to repeat, thanks - let me clarify that real world goods are anything Apple can't be involved with or held responsible for...if the trainee complains that the trainer failed to deliver, either outright or maybe in their opinion the quality of the training wasn't worth the fee, whatever...and they demand a refund, what happens? Apple _cannot_ be held responsible for anything a human trainer does or doesn't do, so... Apple is strictly hands off in the transaction. That's why the language exists in the review guidelines.

>I want to know if the personal trainer can charge their clients using the Apple payment system within the app and if so, would it be subject to the 70/30 split?

Simply put, no they can't, so no, Apple won't.

◅▻

If the client demanded a refund, how would that be any different if a trainer demanded a refund from me when the app is using the Apple IAP API to charge trainers a monthly auto-renewing fee to have access to the training app? I have read and been told by Apple representatives very contradicting answers about this and am not sure what to believe. I'm trying to understand better and more clarification on this would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Hi Memj,

Thank you for your reply. Are you referring to establishing my own third party merchant account on a website for example to allow personal trainers to charge their clients instead of within the app? Also, to clarify, the app is for remote personal training meaning that there would be no personal training that physically takes place between the trainer and the client outside of the app. All training would be done through the iPhone with messages, videochat, workout routines for the client, etc. Thank you.

"All training would be done through the iPhone with messages, videochat, workout routines for the client, etc"

This means that Apple will not handle the transaction. The purchase would not be a consumable/ non-consumable purchase that is done on the Iphone. Without the human element nothing would happen. The service would be done by a person outside the app (doing the workout) in which case Apple does take responsability.

"Are you referring to establishing my own third party merchant account on a website for example to allow personal trainers to charge their clients instead of within the app"

While I have never done this myself, i have seen fourm threads about it. You would set up-inside the app-a payment thorugh either PayPal or credit card. The app would conduct payment through the third party.

Since some time has gone by, I'm curious as to the outcome of your question. Did you end up implementing an alternate payment solution in your app, and was this usage approved by Apple?