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Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#61

Post by taurath »

SilverRed wrote: post #38
Grustaf wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But I don’t get it, it has never been forbidden, isn’t that exactly how netflix and all other subscription business do it? Clearly they have communicated about the payment outside the app?

Netflix and spotify dump you on a page which says "You can not continue via the app". They have not been allowed to tell you how you can continue to set up a payment, only that it can not be via the app. Now they can say go to this url to set it up.

And it’s only because they’re so big that Apple hasn’t kicked them off the App Store.

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#62

Post by Grustaf »

taurath wrote: post #61
SilverRed wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix and spotify dump you on a page which says "You can not continue via the app". They have not been allowed to tell you how you can continue to set up a payment, only that it can not be via the app. Now they can say go to this url to set it up.

And it’s only because they’re so big that Apple hasn’t kicked them off the App Store.

Not really, apps that distribute content like that have are allowed to take payment outside the app, I’m pretty sure it applies to anyone. No doubt the exception was introduced because of Amazon and Netflix, but i think it applies to anyone.

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#63

Post by chmike »

shrikant wrote: post #58
chmike wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I have a web app allowing people to register and pay a recurring fee. Can Apple require that people using the iOS version app pay the subscription through the web store and then pay the Apple tax ?

No, this has never been the case. For example, you can buy a subscription to the Downdog app through thir website where it's SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than via their iOS app. After this, you can continue using their iOS app as a fully paid subscriber just fine.

Thanx. Good news

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#64

Post by morpheos137 »

jamil7 wrote: post #51
morpheos137 wrote: post #3

Everything that is done with a platform dependent app can be done with a platform independent web app. I don't know what the best way out of this is but app stores were a step back. Your phone could have one app...a web browser and maybe a few utilities like a calculator, calendar, clock. Even these could be implemented as web apps running in the browser.

So you can't have any platform differentiation and at the same time lose any cohesive, platform specific UI with known conventions. Instead of two major mobile vendors we end up with one or best case scenario two major browsers from one or two tech companies with enough resources to to build and maintain them.

Or we could just have open standards like the web originally was and mostly still is. You can use the gmail web app from a wide range of browsers. Even Lynx in the console...It is not like you have to access a separate gmail web page for each browser you use. I don't get why people think web apps would need to lead to proprietary browser dependence. Not if they are coded for open standards, like HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#65

Post by dustyharddrive »

dustyharddrive wrote: post #27

This is the worst tech news headline I’ve ever seen. The change the article is referring to is allowing developers to refer to non-IAP payments in communication with users outside the app (the fact that this was disallowed before blows my mind). This does absolutely nothing to change the in-app anti-steering rules Apple has. (edit: for clarity)

I think I should clarify what changed in the rules. Apple attempted to stop any mass communication to your users from mentioning another way to pay. If they signed up in the app Apple still wanted to lock them in as an IAP customer.

Now you can send bulk emails to consenting account holders and mention non-IAP payment methods without running afoul of the rules.

Here's the old App Review Guideline clause (https://web.archive.org/web/20210401043354/https://developer...):

> 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods: The following apps may use purchase methods other than in-app purchase. Apps in this section cannot, either within the app or through communications sent to points of contact obtained from account registration within the app (like email or text), encourage users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase.

That's been changed to:

> 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods: The following apps may use purchase methods other than in-app purchase. Apps in this section cannot, within the app, encourage users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase. Developers cannot use information obtained within the app to target individual users outside of the app to use purchasing methods other than in-app purchase (such as sending an individual user an email about other purchasing methods after that individual signs up for an account within the app). Developers can send communications outside of the app to their user base about purchasing methods other than in-app purchase.

Then the AFAIK unchanged exceptions follow: "reader" (any content store), multiplatform services (yes the guidelines are made so strict allowing the use of previously purchased accounts had to be an exception, "provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app"), P2P, "goods and services outside the app", etc.

edit: line breaks :)

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#66

Post by dustyharddrive »

SilverRed wrote: post #37
dustyharddrive wrote: post #27

This is the worst tech news headline I’ve ever seen. The change the article is referring to is allowing developers to refer to non-IAP payments in communication with users outside the app (the fact that this was disallowed before blows my mind). This does absolutely nothing to change the in-app anti-steering rules Apple has. (edit: for clarity)

This is still a huge step even if not enough. It means that apps like spotify and netflix no longer have to have a screen saying "You can not continue via the app" and nothing more which is terrible UX. "Head to spotify.com to set up a subscription" is much better UI.

They still can't link to third-party payments. The only change is that after users have opted-in to [X company]'s marketing email, the company is allowed to talk about their own payment system to their own mailing list. You know, after the customer has likely already set up an IAP subscription where Apple takes 30%.

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#67

Post by dustyharddrive »

SilverRed wrote: post #38
Grustaf wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But I don’t get it, it has never been forbidden, isn’t that exactly how netflix and all other subscription business do it? Clearly they have communicated about the payment outside the app?

Netflix and spotify dump you on a page which says "You can not continue via the app". They have not been allowed to tell you how you can continue to set up a payment, only that it can not be via the app. Now they can say go to this url to set it up.

They cannot send you to a URL and still can't mention non-IAP payments from the app. Only in a bulk email to users. Emailing your own users and providing them a way to pay for your cross-platform service was disallowed before.

Re: Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store

#68

Post by dustyharddrive »

lolinder wrote: post #18

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28323688 Linking this here from the other thread, because the above comment cites the actual court documents, which clear up a lot of confusion I'm seeing on this thread. Apple's concession only applies to communications outside of the app using contact information obtained outside of the app . (Which, yes, was somehow disallowed before.) If your user signed up through the app? To…

I could be wrong but I interpreted the contact information mention this way.

AFAIK it intends to disallow transactional emails like signup (welcome to netflix) from pushing third-party IAP:

> Developers cannot use information obtained within the app to target individual users outside of the app ... (such as sending an individual user an email about other purchasing methods ...

But that generic sentence means you can have a bulk mailing list with messages that mention your own payment option:

> Developers can send communications outside of the app to their user base about purchasing methods other than in-app purchase.

(edit: found this comment which explains it more concisely https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28324005)

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