Rejected 3x under 2.1(b): cannot submit app version and In-App Purchases in the SAME review submission

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Store Connect
bandprobrasil OP
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Our app BandPro (Apple ID 6793207475) has been rejected three times under Guideline 2.1(b) because the In-App Purchase products were "not submitted for review". Everything is ready on our side, but App Store Connect will not let us put the app version and the IAPs into the SAME review submission:

  • New binary uploaded: iOS 1.0 (build 22), attached to the version.
  • 7 IAPs in "Ready to Submit": 4 auto-renewable subscriptions in the group "BandPro Pro" + 3 consumables. All have prices, availability in 175 storefronts, review screenshots and review notes.
  • The app version is locked inside the REJECTED submission ("Unresolved Issues"). The only action available there is "Resubmit to App Review", which sends the version ALONE - exactly what caused the 2nd and 3rd rejections.
  • Adding the IAPs for review creates a SEPARATE draft submission. That draft cannot be sent: it shows "To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform" - but the version cannot be added because it is held by the rejected submission.
  • We replied to App Review in the Resolution Center on Aug 1 explaining this. No response yet.

We also saw the recent reply from an App Store Commerce Engineer saying the In-App Purchase submission experience was recently updated and an issue affected some submitted IAPs - our timeline matches that window.

Could someone from Apple help us either: (a) attach the 7 ready IAPs to the existing submission so everything is reviewed together, or (b) release the app version from the rejected submission so we can create ONE new submission containing the version + all IAPs?

We would like to avoid deleting and recreating the subscription group, since the product IDs are already live in our billing stack and on Google Play.

Thank you!

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JoostVDP OP

Hi, I'm experiencing almost exactly the same issue with my first IAP. Did you manage to resolve it? If so, how?

I’ve described my situation here: https://www.reddit.com/user/Traditional_Cat4833/comments/1x2qjv7/unable_to_submit_my_first_inapp_purchase_for/

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Joost
CenturyPerf OP

Same issue here: Guideline 2.1(b) rejection, with no way to submit the in-app purchase and the version together.

I’m hitting the same deadlock described in this thread, and I’m adding my case because it looks systemic, not a one-off setup error.

My situation

  • New app, iOS 1.0. One non-consumable in-app purchase (Pro Unlock). All metadata, price, availability and the App Review screenshot are complete, and its status is Ready for Review.
  • Rejected first under 2.1 (information needed), then, after I resubmitted, under 2.1(b): the in-app purchase “has not been submitted for review.” Apple’s instruction was to submit the purchase and upload a new binary.

What I can’t do

  1. Adding the purchase for review creates a stand-alone Draft Submission that says: “Unable to Submit for Review. To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform.” The version is never offered, and Submit stays disabled.
  2. The app version is held by the rejected submission, where the only option is Resubmit. That sends the version alone, which is what caused the rejection.
  3. The version page doesn’t show an “In-App Purchases and Subscriptions” section, so there’s nowhere to attach the purchase, contrary to what Apple’s help pages describe.
  4. I uploaded a new build, attached it to the version, deleted the stale draft, and tried every Add for Review path I could find. The result is the same.

Why this isn’t acceptable

App Review’s own message tells developers to do something that App Store Connect currently doesn’t allow. Everything Apple needs to see this is on Apple’s side: the account shows a configured purchase, a version in a rejected submission, and a draft that cannot be submitted. The state is visible without any information from me, yet the response so far is a rejection that repeats an instruction I can’t carry out. Each rejection costs developers days.

What I’m asking Apple to do

  • Attach the in-app purchase to the existing submission for the version, or
  • Release the version from the rejected submission, so a single new submission can contain both.
  • Acknowledge whether this is a known App Store Connect issue, and when it will be fixed.

Other, older threads reporting similar issues and no posted solution include:

I’ve also contacted Developer Support and replied in the Resolution Center. Could an Apple staff member look at this thread and my submission (ID ef48c4f6-1ad2-46d8-bb95-46c20bffc82a)?

To anyone else with the same problem: please say so, and describe whether you found any workaround that didn’t require recreating your product IDs.