CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iosiphonein-app-purchasenon-renewing-subscription
Yasper
Yasper

Reputation: 616

Apple inapp Non-Renewing subscription purchase, force-require login?

here's my straightforward question: is it allowed for my iOS application to force users to log into my custom account management system, so I can link them to my backend when they want to purchase a non-renewing subscription?

Here's the backstory: I have a non-renewing subscription. For a good amount of users I can see that the Apple receipt does not contain information about this subscription; the in_app array is empty. This is correct according to the API:

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StoreKitGuide/Chapters/Products.html The in-app purchase receipt for a consumable product or non-renewing subscription is added to the receipt when the purchase is made. It is kept in the receipt until your app finishes that transaction. After that point, it is removed from the receipt the next time the receipt is updated—for example, when the user makes another purchase or if your app explicitly refreshes the receipt

For some users, I can still see the purchase in the receipt, but let's consider that a bug from Apple and follow their API documentation to the letter. (More on why this is a bug here https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/22345)

In order to restore the user's purchase, I'd need something to identify him with. I could create a unique token, store that on the iCloud keychain and use that across the devices to detect the purchase belongs to that Apple account, but since my application supports account creation, I'd rather just use that mechanism. Else I'm using two different methods of purchase detection side by side: iCloud keychain token or a user account.

Thing is, I'm not sure I am allowed to force users to make an account before making a purchase. Is this something Apple would reject the app submission for with a message like "Your users must be able to buy stuff without going through your lengthy account registration process" ?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1061

Answers (1)

Maulik
Maulik

Reputation: 19418

From Apple :

Non-renewable subscriptions. Subscriptions that don’t involve delivering episodic content. Examples include access to a database of historic photos or a collection of flight maps. It’s your app’s responsibility to make the subscription available on all of the user’s devices and to let users restore the purchase. This product type is often used when your users already have an account on your server that you can use to identify them when restoring content. Expiration and the duration of the subscription are also left to your app (or your server) to implement and enforce. https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StoreKitGuide/Chapters/Products.html

So its your app's responsibility to check that user has valid subscription or its over and let them purchase it again !

For this you will ask user to first make account or login into app so by this way you can track their subscriptions.

Upvotes: 2

Related Questions