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Ask HN: Apple iOS app rejection - what now?

8 pointsdaviding8 comments

We're a startup that's just launched a new business, and part of that is some useful mobile apps to help take pictures from your phone and upload them to our webapp service. The photos aren't vital to the app, but it's a nice feature, especially since the stuff being captured is household things, i.e. for insurance records etc. so a walk-around phone is handy.

We submitted our iPhone/iPad app and it got (quickly) rejected by Apple for the reason we don't provide in-app billing. We're deciding what to do next so wanted to hear opinions from here.

Options would include:

- Free Plan. We don't currently have a free plan (just a trial) and our model doesn't really fit with that, but is that how other web connected apps get approved, i.e. is Evernote and Dropbox type apps available because they do in-app purchasing or can you argue if you have a free level of service?

- Do In-App billing. We use Recurly and have a great subscription service with lots of options. The work would be then to set up a dual system just for Apple?

- Forget iOS and just run with our Android version we have.

All advice appreciated!

There is precedent in the app store for apps which require a subscription to work, and yet do not offer in-app subscriptions. For example, Kindle and Netflix. The way they comply with the guidelines is by removing any link to the website where you can sign up. If there is no way for the user, via tapping in your app, to give you money outside of in-app purchasing, then the app should pass muster.

So you basically have 3 viable choices. The first is to offer in-app subscriptions, and live with the 30% cut that Apple takes. Note that this option is going to be the most convenient for your users, if you care about that sort of thing.

The second is to offer in-app purchasing for 43% more than the regular price. After Apple's 30% cut, this will leave you with the original subscription amount. Note that this is not particularly user-friendly because they're now paying 43% more for the same service.

The third is to remove any and all links to your site from the app. Make it very clear in your app description that this app requires an active subscription, and live with the fact that some users are braindead and will give you 1 star because your app doesn't work for them (because they don't have a subscription).

Thanks for that. The third option is exactly how we did the app, i.e. no sign up or pay link, just a login. Plus we very prominately say 'You need an active subscription'.

We obviously wouldn't want the 1-star reviews, but in some ways it's ok as the phone app is really just a utility helper for then main task at hand (photos) so it's not as if the app is useful without the subscription.

Do you have any app examples of the third option we could cite?

The Kindle app removed all links to their online store. I believe Netflix presents you with just a login form (if you haven't already logged in). I believe Dropbox does as well.

I guess really the question is can your service(business plan) afford 30 percent cut.

Start out with a free plan and later on add in-app billing if you think there is a market for it.

The appeal process is pretty strict and unless you change something your app would be rejected again. Apple is trying to make a point here and it will not allow discrepancies in their policy enforcement.

Apple has pretty extensive support for monthly subscriptions via in-app purchases at this point and have already invented most of the wheel for you. Take a peek at those docs and see if it fits your model.

Thank you. Yes, we're going over those. It's a shame as we like our current solution, and this would be purely just for apple (and we don't sell books)

We were wondering about bothering to appeal even - has anyone actually 'won' or don't you even get to talk to someone?

What you can't accomplish something like this with a mobile webapp? You can certainly provide upload capabilities.

Access to the camera. The mobile app's only existence is really because of the ability to take pictures and preview/upload them in one easy step.

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