Apple in-app-purchase rules or other api ?

Question

Created Jul ’17

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Hello,

I need help for iap guideline and their limitations. I read the apple guideline and some posts on forum and it's kind of unclear for certain points.

I'm developping an application with some in-app pucharses with two types :

- a consommable (a virtual money like some video games where you can buy coins)

- a recurring subscription to access a feature of a video stream

I saw that I have to use apple iap to my consommable because it's an in app consommable.

But for my subscription, it's more complicated... I'm offering a video stream against a monthly subscription.

It's not a new content every months but just one feature accessible only if you've subscribe. On some post I read that it's not allowed by apple with their iap subscription if I don't propose new content against a subscription. Is it true ?

If I can't use apple iap, can I use an other api like "stripe" ?

Other things, all of my purchases (virtual money and subscription) have to be synchronised with my server because I want a cross-platform system. For example if a user buy 10 coins of my virtual money on my websites, I'd like to retrieve them on the app. it's the same for the subscription (like netflix for example). Users don't have to subscribe mutliple times.

Is it authorized by apple or is my app in risk of being rejected if I use iap like that ? Can I use stripe or other third party api for all of my purchases because there are features inside but also outside of app ?

I ask for tierce api because I saw this guideline :

11.3

Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the App will be rejected

Thanks for the help

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Answer 1

PBK OP

Jul ’17

>it's not allowed by apple with their iap subscription if I don't propose new content against a subscription.

Not true. It used to be true that you can't use an autorenewable if the content didn't change and you had to use a non-renewing subscription. But even that has changed.

If the virtual money will be used to unlock code within the app (e.g. enable features) then they must be purchased through IAP. You can fregister your purchases with your website. You cannot enable 'gifting' of IAP purchases through credits from your website. The guidelines are here:

https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

You are not selling physical goods or goods and services used outside the app. You may be able to operate the video stream under 3.1.3

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Answer 2

Sturm_De_Lumlane OP

Jul ’17

Thanks for the answer ! it's helped.

When you say "You cannot enable 'gifting' of IAP purchases through credits from your website" is that mean I can't enable the cross platform purchase ? I have the app on iOS device but also on android and website. I'd like allowed the user to buy just one time a service (consommable or subscription) for all his device.

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Answer 3

PBK OP

Jul ’17

You can't sell the subscription or consumable throught a means other than IAP - that would be a violation of the guidelines. So your users can purchase 'once' only if they do it through IAP and that IAP credits their other (non-iOS) devices. Of course, few users actually have devices in both iOS and Android so you are talking about the rare case.

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