Offer promo codes

Request and manage promo codes

Promo codes provide potential App Store customers or reviewers with a free copy of apps or in-app purchases (including subscriptions) on iOS, macOS, or tvOS. Promo codes can be redeemed on any App Store storefront where your app is available and are valid for four weeks from the day they’re generated. Each promo code can be used once.

You can distribute promo codes by any means. Purchases made using promo codes are indicated in your Sales and Trends reports.

Promo codes for apps

When a customer downloads an app using a promo code, the app behaves just as it would if it had been purchased. For example, the customer has the opportunity to update to new versions of the app. However, customers can’t rate or review the app. Promo codes can be used to redeem an unreleased app version, as long as the app is available on the App Store. Promo codes for tvOS or multi-platform apps must be redeemed on an iOS device. After the code is redeemed, the tvOS app appears in the customer’s purchase history on the App Store for Apple TV. You can request up to 100 promo codes per version of each platform your app supports.

Promo codes for in-app purchases

When a customer redeems an in-app purchase promo code for a free app that’s not installed on their device, the app automatically downloads. If the app is for sale, the customer needs to purchase the app to redeem the in-app purchase. If a customer uses a promo code to subscribe to an auto-renewable subscription, the subscription won’t automatically renew after the duration is complete. You can provide up to 100 promo codes for each in-app purchase product, with a limit of 1,000 total codes for all in-app purchases for an app every six months (resetting on January 1 and July 1). These codes are for non-commercial use and expire 28 days after they were generated.

To request promo codes for an app version, the version’s status must be Ready for Sale, Pre-Order Ready for Sale, or Pending Developer Release for iOS and macOS apps, or Ready for Sale or Pre-Order Ready for Sale for tvOS apps. For in-app purchases, the in-app purchase state must be Approved or it won't appear as an option.

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

Request promo codes

  1. From Apps, select your app.

  2. Click the Services tab.

  3. In the sidebar, click Promo Codes. The Promo Code page opens with Generate selected.

  4. Under App Promo Codes, enter the number of version promo codes and under In-App Purchase Promo Codes, enter the number of in-app purchase promo codes you want to generate.

  5. On the top right, click Generate Code.

  6. Read and agree to the contract terms for Apple to distribute free versions of your app or in-app purchase, and click Generate Code.

  7. Click OK. You can view or download the generated promo codes on the History tab.

View history of promo codes

  • On the Promo Code page for your app, click History.

    The history table shows the date each set of codes was generated in App Store Connect. Use this date to determine the expiration date of your codes.

  • Click View Codes to view or download generated promo codes.

    You can copy the codes in the dialog, or click “text file“ to download a .txt file containing the codes.

    Promo codes screenshot