Cannot Test Subscriptions in Sandbox Before App Review Approval

Question

Question:

I am currently implementing a subscription-based feature in my app and facing a circular issue with the App Store review and Sandbox testing. Here is the situation:

1. I created a subscription in App Store Connect and configured its metadata, display name, and descriptions correctly.
2. The subscription status is currently "Waiting for Review".
3. To test the subscription in the Sandbox environment, I need it to be approved and in a "Ready for Sale" state. However, for it to be approved, it requires my app to include a working subscription page.
4. On the other hand, to display a functional subscription page in the app, I need to validate the subscription in the Sandbox environment first.

This creates a circular dependency where I cannot test the subscription without it being approved, and I cannot include it in the app for review without testing it.

Steps I have taken so far:

Configured the subscription correctly in App Store Connect. I added localization, descriptions, and review information for the subscription. I ensured that the metadata matches with my subscription setup in Adapty (3rd-party tool for subscriptions).

Submitted an app version for review:

I set "Version Release" to Manually release this version. I added the subscription to the app version. I included a static Premium Subscription page in my app to simulate the subscription process.

Review Outcome: The app was rejected with the following error:

Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness We found that your in-app purchase products exhibited one or more bugs which create a poor user experience. Specifically, the app displays an error message when we attempt to purchase a subscription.

Review device details:

Next Steps: When validating receipts on your server, your server needs to be able to handle a production-signed app getting its receipts from Apple’s test environment. The recommended approach is for your production server to always validate receipts against the production App Store first. If validation fails with the error code "Sandbox receipt used in production," you should validate against the test environment instead.

My Questions:

1. Breaking the Cycle: Is there a recommended approach to break this circular issue and allow testing in the Sandbox environment before review approval?

2. Submission Approach: Should I submit the subscription for review without a fully functional subscription page in the app and explain the situation to the App Review team?

3. Server Validation Issue: How can I resolve the server receipt validation issue during review testing when the app is not yet live?

4. Alternative Methods: Are there alternative ways to validate the subscription setup before moving to production?

I’d appreciate any guidance on how to proceed or best practices to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance!