I’m writing an iPhone app. The question is regarding the new rules restricting purchases inside the app.
So: the user charges their account up with ‘credits’ on the associated website using real money via a payment provider. The user installs the app and logs in using the same account as is used on the website: they cannot use the app without first logging in [edit: although they can register an account without adding any credits.].
The purpose of the app is to build up a report about a property, which can then be emailed out, or exported to their account to appear on the website. The report can be built up without using any credits. However, to export the report to the website or email it out, these credits must be expended by contacting the server and debiting X amount from the user’s credits.
Here’s the question:
The user’s account is debited whenever they do this export. Only if/when the user’s account is out of credit does the app complain that credits are low (otherwise it doesn’t mention them), and it tells the user to go to the website to top-up their account to proceed. Remember that they can’t login without an account, which can only be created on the website, and the website explains this.
From the guidelines:
11.13 Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, such as a “buy” button that goes
to a web site to purchase a digital book, will be rejected
So, my app does not provide a link to the website when explaining that their account is low on credits, it just says that this is what is needed to proceed. The export function, however, does require that the user has topped up their account, so in a sense this does fall foul of the next rule:
Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
I’m somewhat worried that this credit currency will fall foul of these recently-tightened rules, does anyone want to please reassure me (or, break the bad news)?
P.s. Spotify requires that users pay a subscription (on their website) to use the iPhone app. The difference between them and the above is that their subscription is unlimited-use whereas the above has a per-use charge.
Thanks in advance,
Ian
When you submit your app, include a tester username / password to the App Store. Fuel this account with a few million credits so they don’t see the reference to Credits Low. There are many apps that get rejected just for having a login – if you make the reviewer’s job easier by having a user/pw they can use, it’ll increase your chance of acception.
If you app does get rejected, it means you have to change your model anyway. Actually – you might just be able to add ‘Buy Credits’ as an in-app purchase to appease Apple. Just make sure the credits in-app cost the same or less than externally – as far as I can tell, Apple will let you keep external purchases around as long as they cost the same or more than in-app purchasing.
Additionally, make sure your “low credits” alert doesn’t link to an external page to buy more credits– this may be frowned upon.