Hi everyone,
I am building a telehealth and weight-loss platform where the main service provided to patients is 1-on-1 live video consultations with doctors and dietitians, along with lab reviews and chat support.
Originally, our business model was designed with an external web checkout. However, we are now evaluating whether we can offer the subscription checkout directly inside the mobile app using a custom payment gateway (e.g., Stripe) instead of Apple In-App Purchase (IAP).
Our Context & Business Model:
Core Service: The primary value is human professional care (telehealth 1-on-1 video calls).
Splits & Payouts: Our model relies on direct payment splits/commissions to physicians and dietitians per consultation, which is handled via custom payment processor APIs (Stripe Connect).
Subscription: Patients pay a recurring monthly fee that includes access to the platform and scheduled video calls.
Questions:
Does the fact that the primary deliverable is a 1-on-1 live video consultation (real-world human service) allow us to embed a custom credit card/Pix checkout (like Stripe) directly inside the iOS app? Or does selling a recurring subscription inside the app automatically trigger mandatory Apple IAP (Guideline 3.1.1)?
If embedded custom payment gateways are strictly prohibited inside the app for this subscription model, is keeping the payment strictly on an external web browser (outside the app) the only compliant way to use Stripe/custom gateways without paying IAP commissions?
Thanks for your help!