Apple Expands In-App Subscription Discounts to Existing, Past Customers

Apple is making a change in how discounts work in App Store (iOS) and Mac App Store subscriptions. According to the Cupertino-based company, it will soon let developers to offer discounts to existing as well as past subscribers. The current Apple policy only allows for introductory discounts on subscriptions and once a user has signed up for a subscription, that person can no longer be offered any discounts after the initial promotion expires, even if the developer desires to do so. This policy even restricts the developers from offering discounts to entice past subscribers.

As per an update shared by Apple on its developer website, applications with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to offer discounted prices to both existing and past users.

“You can use subscription offers to help win back subscribers who have cancelled their subscriptions or promote an upgrade to another subscription at a special price,” Apple wrote in its support website. “Customers can accept the offer even if they've already completed an introductory offer.”

Apple notes that the developers can offer three types of promotions to their subscribers – free for a specific period, pay a promo price each billion period, and pay one-time promo price.

The company hasn't shared when exactly the new policy will go into effect, however Apple wants to developers to be ready with offers when it finally makes the feature publicly available. The implementation of the new offers can be tested in the latest beta versions of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, and tvOS 12.2 by the developers. It is possible that the new policy will go live when the stable versions of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, and tvOS 12.2 are released for public.

As subscription revenue continues to grow for both app developers and Apple, which takes up to 30 percent cut from the same, the iPhone maker is looking to improve subscription management for both users and developers. The company had recently tweaked the App Store user interface on mobile devices to make it easy to cancel or manage subscriptions.