I'm building an application in which users can create content and then that content is sold to other users. From the guidelines it would appear that I would need to use in app purchases for this. I'm not aware though of any way to just create in app purchase products on the fly from within the application after it's already on the store.
Does anyone have any thoughts?
Much appreciated.
You're correct, there is no API to define in app purchase identifiers dynamically. One other thing, which you should check with App Review, I get the impression that only those in app purchase identifiers that are defined at the time of the formal app review, are approved for use for in app purchase use once the app is in production.
I now proceed, but please understand, I could be wrong on any or all of the following - please tread carefully -
There might be a creative use of non-renewingsubscription identifiers, where a number of non-renewing subscription identifiers are defined ahead of time, but without associated content. The app could maintain contact with a server process to know what identifiers are active and what the associated content it's assigned with. However, all identifiers would have to be associated with a predefined price initially. With all this, I'm sure that there are other issues to be handled regarding the in app purchase process.
There is also the potentially larger issue - what is the content to be sold?
rich kubota - rkubota@apple.com
developer technical support CoreOS/Hardware/MFI
Two comments:
1) under 11.14 ceratin there is a narriow path forward for playing content in an app that is purchased through means other than IAP. That might be a path forward.
2) There is a simple way of doing this through IAP. You could sell a consumable "Token". You could have 3 IAPs - 1 Token for $0.99, 5 Tokens for $3.99, 10 Tokens for ... you get it. E.g. The user can purchase '10 Tokens' 3 times. The app then records the number of Tokens purchased (e.g. 30) and decreases that number when the user makes a download of content (or reduces it by 2 for premium content - you get the idea). If you envision this content as 'non-consumable' then you might have to create some way to transfer the content to other devices owned by the same user. You could record the download info in the user's iCloud account for this purpose.
>This is a correction to my response - There is a way to associate new in app purchase identifiers with an app, after the app has been reviewed and is on the store - You can see the procedure described in the iTunesConnect document "In-App Purchase Configuration Guide"
rich kubota - rkubota@apple.com
developer technical support CoreOS/Hardware/MFI
