App Store Connect Help

Support / App Store Connect / Manage subscriptions / Offer auto-renewable subscriptions

Manage subscriptions

Offer auto-renewable subscriptions

App Store Connect offers tools to help you run a subscription business on the App Store. How you configure your subscriptions in App Store Connect determine how users subscribe to your service, how often they are billed, and how they upgrade and downgrade between offerings. To begin offering a subscription in your app, you will need to create a Subscription Group, then add one or more Subscription products to that group, then assign levels to those products. Subscription setup is structured as the following:

  • Subscription group: A set of subscription products with varying levels and durations. Users can subscribe to one subscription product per group at a time.

  • Subscription: A product that lets users purchase dynamic content for a set period. Auto-renewable subscriptions renew automatically, unless cancelled by the user. Subscription duration and price is configured in App Store Connect.

  • Subscription levels: A ranking system of subscriptions within a subscription group that determines the upgrade, downgrade, and crossgrade path available to subscribers. Levels make it possible to offer varying access (basic, premium) of the same service.

  • Subscription duration: The length of time before the subscription renews and the subscriber is charged. Possible durations are 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year.

Single subscription product setup

If you offer only one subscription product in your app, the subscription defaults to a single level within the subscription group.

Screenshot of single subscription product setup

Multiple subscription and durations product setup

Arrange your subscriptions in order from the one that offers the most (level 1) to the one that offers the least. You can stack subscriptions with equal content but different durations and other similar variables, at the same level. Each level can have multiple subscription products, allowing for multiple durations and prices for people to choose from. This lets them upgrade, downgrade, and crossgrade within the subscription group without impacting their days of paid service.

Screenshot of multiple subscription and durations product setup

Subscription proceeds rate

During a subscriber’s first year of service, you receive 70% of the subscription price at each billing cycle, minus applicable taxes. After a subscriber accumulates one year of paid service in the same subscription group, your net revenue increases to 85% of the subscription price, minus applicable taxes. Time spent within a subscription offer is also counted toward the total. Members of the App Store Small Business Program receive 85% starting on the first day.

When an auto-renewable subscription expires, the days of paid service stop accumulating. If someone resubscribes or the subscription is recovered within 60 days, the days of paid service continue from the recovery date. Conversely, if the subscription is recovered after 60 days, the rate reverts to 70% and the day count starts over.

When a subscription expires due to a billing issue, Apple attempts to renew the subscription and collect payment. If you enabled the billing grace period for your apps, there won’t be any interruption to days of paid service or to your revenue, if Apple is able to recover the subscription within the billing grace period (either 6 or 16 days, depending on the subscription duration). Learn more about billing grace periods.

You can find information about subscription performance, subscriber activity, and proceeds in your Sales and Trends reports. Learn more.

Note: It may take up to 1 hour for changes you make to product metadata to appear in the sandbox environment.

Required role: Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, Developer, or Marketing. View role permissions.