Hello everyone,
I’m facing an issue with In-App Purchases during App Review and would appreciate guidance from anyone who has encountered a similar situation.
Context:
New iOS/iPadOS app, first submission.
One Non-Consumable In-App Purchase.
IAP was created, fully configured, and submitted together with the app version.
IAP status in App Store Connect: In Review.
App includes Restore Purchase and uses standard StoreKit purchase flow.
Paid Apps Agreement is accepted.
Problem: During Apple’s review, when the reviewer taps the purchase button, a generic error appears:
“Purchase failed. An error occurred, please try again.”
Apple rejected the app under Guideline 2.1 – Performance – App Completeness, stating that the IAP shows a bug.
What seems to be happening: The IAP itself is still in review and therefore not fully active, which causes the purchase attempt to fail. However, the app cannot be approved because the purchase fails, creating a circular dependency:
App cannot be approved because IAP purchase fails.
IAP cannot work because the app is not approved yet.
According to Apple documentation, IAPs are tested in the sandbox during review and should not require separate approval to function, so I’m unsure what additional step is required.
Questions:
Is there any special configuration needed to make first-time IAPs work during review?
Should Apple reviewers be able to complete sandbox purchases even if the IAP status is “In Review”?
Is there a recommended workaround or reviewer instruction to avoid this deadlock?
Any insights or real-world experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.