Developers can gate apps behind subscriptions, within limits, Apple says

Incoming App Store policies will not only allow any app to offer a subscription, but in many cases enable developers to gate all of their content behind one, according to Apple.

Users can be immediately greeted with a login screen, MacWorld confirmed with Apple. While that tactic has been allowed for publications and streaming media services in the past — Netflix being an example — the same approach will soon be applicable elsewhere, within limits.

Apps in other categories will have to "make sense" in terms of their business model, Apple explained. The company's developer website points out that subscriptions must "provide ongoing value worth the recurring payment" for auto-renewing subscriptions to be deemed justified.

It's unknown how Apple might judge what constitutes "ongoing value," but the rule is presumably in place to safeguard against scams, as well as broader abuse of the system that could discourage people from downloading apps.

The new subscription policies take effect June 13. To encourage adoption, Apple will also be halving its revenue cut from subscriptions to 15 percent for customers that stay signed up for at least a year — excluding a 60-day window during which a person can cancel and resubscribe and the app developer will still get their improved share.

19 Comments

john.b 2733 comments · 16 Years

About 8 years ago

I think we're done with apps from the App Store at Casa de john.b...

dick applebaum 12525 comments · 17 Years

AppleInsider said:

Apple will also be halving its revenue cut from subscriptions to 15 percent for customers that stay signed up for at least a year -- excluding a 60-day window during which a person can cancel and resubscribe and the app developer will still get their improved share.

Keeping track of individual user subscription subscribe/cancel/resubscribe dates seems like a lot of non-productive busy work. I suspect that this will devolve to subscriptions are 85/15 period!

thewhitefalcon 4444 comments · 10 Years

dick applebaum said:

AppleInsider said:

Apple will also be halving its revenue cut from subscriptions to 15 percent for customers that stay signed up for at least a year -- excluding a 60-day window during which a person can cancel and resubscribe and the app developer will still get their improved share.

Keeping track of individual user subscription subscribe/cancel/resubscribe dates seems like a lot of non-productive busy work. I suspect that this will devolve to subscriptions are 85/15 period!

I'm pretty sure the system already keeps track of subscription length.

rogifan_new 4297 comments · 9 Years

Apple should just allow subscriptions period. They don't need to be the arbiter of what "makes sense". We've already seen how many times they reject an app only to allow it back after enough outcry. If I'm a developer I don't want to spend all this time developing an app and putting together a business plan/model only to have Apple reject the app during review because they don't think it "makes sense" to offer a subscription.

bobolicious 1173 comments · 10 Years

Apps such as Navigon (GPS) & Storm (weather) already effectively offer subscriptions in the form of annual add ons? Is the 'Gold Rush' over? Does what seems an intent to move Apple to an annual revenue stream of 15% vs a one time app fee of 30% risk losing an awful lot of customers ? It will certainly trim my inventory of any apps I might not use regularly, and in the end I may buy far less memory in my hardware as a result...?