trainerfu

How are we trying to find way around it? We don't want to sell anything via IAP because it does not make sense in our app. But somehow we are forced to do it.

We don't have any links inside the app that direct the users to the fitness business website. We even had a call with the app reviewer and this thing never came up. We would be happy to remove any links if they find. But I don't think that is the case.

Most probably not.

You are right. It is like meeting guidelines have become more important than any thing else.

And in our case adding IAP will surely make for a poor user experience. How a fitness business can serve users that sign up for an in-app purchase from anywhere in the world. A personal trainer can't help everyone. They have a specific niche and specific type of people they can and want to serve.

An app developer can implement copay feature on iOS using Apple pay without any issues right now.

But that is not the issue..

See I go to physical therapist for my shoulder pain and get home workout on my app. Apple is saying that you can't deliver home workout unless you add those home workouts are also available as an in-app purchase.

Yes, we build apps for gym and personal training businesses. Most of the value is delivered in-person or Skype (assessment, workout design, taking client through a workout etc). I feel like the guideline is not clear cut.

The personal training business has a high marginal cost and unlike games or other digital services, the value can be unlocked immediately after in-app purchase.

I feel the marginal cost of a product should determine what qualifies for this guideline. But for now we are in limbo.

We’ve been making white-label apps for fitness businesses for a few years now. Our white label app allows fitness businesses to deliver better personal training experience to their clients. Personal trainers and their clients can use the app to plan and track workouts, track progress, chat with each other etc.

Recently, Apple started rejecting our white-label app because allegedly we are breaking their "3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services" guideline. As per the guideline, if a business is selling digital content on other platforms that’s accessible inside the iOS app then those items should also be available as an in-app purchase on the iOS app too.

This was very surprising because we always thought personal training services to fall under the category of "goods and services" and not digital content. And as per guideline “3.1.5(a) Goods and Services Outside of the App” we aren’t even allowed to use in-app purchase selling services.

But Apple reviewers disagree that our app falls under the “services” category. According to reviewers, since clients are getting "digital value" from the app we therefore must add an in-app purchase to the app.

We are ready to add a free tier to the app. But that is a no-go solution. We must add in-app purchases of some kind to get the apps approved.

The "3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services" guideline does not make sense. You can use the same guideline to force any for-profit business that offers anything useful inside an iOS app to add an in-app purchase. How is this even allowed?

By the same reasoning apps built for physical therapists, doctors should add in-app purchases too?

And why is Uber not giving a 30% cut? Their customers do get digital-value inside the app.

Not sure if this new change can actually help us.