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Apple now lets developers auto-renew users for increased subscription prices once a year as long as the increase doesn't exceed $50 or 50% of the annual price

Juli Clover / MacRumors :

MacRumors Juli Clover

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple has progressively expanded App Store subscription controls, from introductory pricing for auto-renewing subscriptions to discounts aimed at existing and former subscribers and payment-failure grace periods. The new rule extends that toolkit from acquisition and retention into routine annual price management.

First-order effects

  • Developers can raise an eligible subscriber’s price once a year without requiring an opt-in when the increase stays within Apple’s stated $50-or-50%-of-annual-price limit.
  • Subscribers face a higher renewal price by default under those limits, rather than having a renewal stopped for affirmative acceptance.

Second-order effects

  • Subscription-app operators gain a less disruptive way to adjust prices for their installed customer base, making retention mechanics and price-setting more tightly linked.
  • Developers that previously relied on introductory offers, discounts, and grace periods can combine those tools with annual increases across more stages of the subscriber lifecycle.

Third-order effects

  • If Apple continues to add subscription controls, App Store businesses will have a more complete platform-managed system for acquiring, retaining, and repricing recurring customers, increasing the importance of subscription operations over one-time app sales.

The trend: Apple is building the App Store into a fuller subscription-management layer, adding controls for each stage from introductory pricing to renewal.

Discussion

  • @kifleswing Kif on x
    Breaking: Apple says some developers will be able to auto-renew App Store subscriptions without notifying customers https://developer.apple.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
  • @somospostpc Alex Barredo on x
    Pretty fair conditions for users and developers https://twitter.com/...
  • @stevestreza @stevestreza on x
    Well it's a good thing nobody has ever abused App Store subscriptions. https://twitter.com/...
  • @dctrgizmo @dctrgizmo on x
    @markgurman This is going to get abused a lot.
  • @sloanworkshop Mark Sloan on x
    @markgurman I personally don't like this change at all. It is all too easy to miss the Apple subscription emails when you have many. Make developers turn off features when you expire and resubscribe. We know companies make $$$ off of dead subscriptions that automatically renew.
  • @netster23 @netster23 on x
    Purchase app on App Store use to be affordable. Then it starts to feel expensive with subscription. Now you'll get more reasons to feel very expensive in the Apple ecosystem. https://twitter.com/...
  • @fl0atplane @fl0atplane on x
    @markgurman Price increases absolutely *should* require a new agreement. This is an awful change.
  • @gsoneill @gsoneill on x
    lol fuck this https://twitter.com/...
  • @elkmovie Michael Love on x
    That they're announcing this now does not bode well for further / bigger App Store changes at WWDC. https://twitter.com/...
  • @markgurman Mark Gurman on x
    Apple will start letting developers offer auto price increases on subscriptions (up to a 50% or $5 increase) once per year. Previously, if a developer upped their subscription price, users would need to re-subscribe. That caused some cancellations. https://developer.apple.com/ ..…
  • @tapbot_paul Paul Haddad on x
    Why do I feel that this will cause people to be even more reluctant to subscribe? https://twitter.com/...