in-app purchases rejected for "business model" but no details on how to fix

We are in an app review loop trying to get an in-app purchase approved with this message (below)


However, we did what they said and resubmitted a binary (essentially the same binary we submitted before but with

a new build number), but then the in-app purchase is rejected for the same reason, with no additional explanation.

Is there a way to escalate this and talk to someone to figure what is going on?

This is for a pre-existing app in the app store, not a new app.



In-App Purchase - New Business Model



We have begun the review of your in-app purchase but aren't able to continue because your submitted in-app purchases indicates a change of business model for your app. Therefore, we need to verify the implementation of your submitted in-app purchases in the app to ensure your app, and its in-app purchases, are in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.


Next Steps


Please upload a new binary for review and resubmit your in-app purchase(s) with the binary so that we can continue the review.

Accepted Reply

OK guys, so we ran into the same problem which is EXTREMELY frustrating but have finally figured out what to do.


Basically, you have to create new IAPs. Once you save them, they will be ready to submit. THEN, you go to your new binary and if you scroll down, there will appear a new section called IAP. From there, you can add the NEW IAPs that you created and then, when you submit it, it submits together. The issue is, if you accidentally submit the IAPs separate frrom the binary, then those IAPs can NEVER be associated with that binary anymore. AND, to make matters worse, if you don't have any new / unreviewed IAPs, the IAP section does NOT display on the binary page. Took us forever to figure out why we kept getting rejected.

Replies

I'm having the same issue for almost a MONTH already. This is very dissapointing and frustrating as f. Nobody answers from support, they just keep repeating this "new business model" thing.

This is very frustrating and ridicilous. Nobody from apple answers they just keep sending this 'new business model' message.

Yeah we got another one yesterday after resubmitting the binary, just as they asked. Exact same message from them.

Could you please let me know if you solve this issue? I will do the same if I happen to solve this earlier.

You need to find a way to attach the IAP to the new binary and then submmit that new binary. You can't submit the IAP by itself because the App REview wants to review it as a new IAP, and new IAPs must be submitted with a new binary.

Post not yet marked as solved Up vote reply of PBK Down vote reply of PBK

You need to wait for Apple do decide what they're going to do other than just send out robot-emails on this topic.

Post not yet marked as solved Up vote reply of KMT Down vote reply of KMT

OK guys, so we ran into the same problem which is EXTREMELY frustrating but have finally figured out what to do.


Basically, you have to create new IAPs. Once you save them, they will be ready to submit. THEN, you go to your new binary and if you scroll down, there will appear a new section called IAP. From there, you can add the NEW IAPs that you created and then, when you submit it, it submits together. The issue is, if you accidentally submit the IAPs separate frrom the binary, then those IAPs can NEVER be associated with that binary anymore. AND, to make matters worse, if you don't have any new / unreviewed IAPs, the IAP section does NOT display on the binary page. Took us forever to figure out why we kept getting rejected.

This was the hint that helped us get past the first step, ability to attach an IAP to the binary upload of the app.

There is no attach of token menu in the app Version panels unless you have a valid token in Ready To Submit mode.

So how do we know to attach it if it's not there?

There was no real business model bug it seems (so far), it was an improper submission of the tokens. Why do they let you submit

the tokens if it is the wrong thing to do, I don't know. I guess ObjC lets you derference NULL if you want, also.


There was one additonal thing we found we needed that was not clear at all in the error messages / red or yellow dots next

to the Internationalizations of the IAP:


for subscriptions that are in a GROUP, you have to provide the same internationalizations for the group level

as for each IAP token, or else it wont get to Ready To Submit. there is no written message about this that we saw, it just

shows yellow dots or red dots next to the internationalizations.


i saw this on some posting somewhere...fixing that seems to get us past all the hangups so far


we are going to try to submit again...see how far we get...

This happened to me last week and i'm stuck in even a worse position if possible. Since i tried to submit our eight IAP without submitting a new binary, i received the following fail regarding the IAP:

"We have begun the review of your in-app purchases but aren't able to continue because your submitted in-app purchases indicate a change of business model for your app.

Specifically, your existing business model has changed to include non-consumable in-app purchase business model type.

Therefore, we need to verify the implementation of your submitted in-app purchases in the app to ensure your app, and its in-app purchases, are in compliance with the App >Store Review Guidelines.

Next Steps

In order to approve your your new in-app purchase business model, we have to verify the purchasability of the items being sold. Please upload a new binary and make sure that >your new in-app purchase products are available for purchase at the time of review."

Since this fail we are unable to send new updates to the game as we get an app update rejection stating:

Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness

We are unable to complete the review of your app because one or more of your in-app purchase products have not been submitted for review.

Specifically, survival of the nerdiest, unbreakable, iron nerds, deluxe content.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please be sure to take action and submit your in-app purchases and upload a new binary in App Store Connect so we can proceed with our review.

Now the problem is that we cannot submit those IAPs are they were already previously approved. Not to mention people aready purchased them so i cannot simply delete them and make new ones.

As you can see in this image we have A) previously released, C) Unreleased IAP and i finally reading this post created a temporary test IAP B)

This caused a new IN APP PURCHASES menu to appear in the main version metadata page.

But it does not contain the option to submit existing IAPs with the binary.

App Review is being completely robotic and unhelpful, only repeating the same lines over without ever giving the idea of having read anything of what i wrote.

apple Really needs to improve its in-app purchase system from the developer side, especially anything involving subscriptions. it is far too complicated. there is no reason for it to be so complicated. ordinary developers have to deal with the most obscure APIs... this is how to make money in apps! subscriptions! it should be the smoooothest part of development! they spent a ton of money making Swift and SwiftUI to make things easier and better, yet ObjC and UIKit isnt that bad once you learn it. however, IAP...holy guacamole it's bad.