- Digital content, features and subscriptions used in the app normally go through Apple and Google billing.
- Physical goods and services used outside the app must use other payment methods, such as a card payment provider.
- Real-time one-to-one services and some business apps have their own rules; group classes do not.
- Linking from the app to a web checkout depends on the store and the country, and the rules change, so check them on the day.
- List everything you sell and classify each item before you design the paywall or the back end.
When must a mobile app use in-app purchase, and when can it take payments on the web?
If people pay for digital content, features or subscriptions that they use inside the app, both Apple and Google normally require their own in-app billing. If they pay for physical goods or for services that happen outside the app, such as a delivery, a cleaning visit or an event ticket, the app must use another payment method. A few cases sit in between, and links to a web checkout depend on the store and the country.
Getting this wrong can lead to a rejection at App Review late in a project. Our mobile app development team settles it with clients before the paywall is designed.
Which purchases must use Apple and Google billing?
Apple's guideline 3.1.1 covers features or functionality inside the app, with examples such as subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, premium content and a full version, and it says apps may not use their own mechanisms such as license keys or QR codes to give access to them, as the App Review Guidelines set out.
Google Play's Payments policy similarly requires its billing for virtual items, subscription services, app functionality such as an ad-free version, and cloud software and services such as storage or business productivity software, as listed in the Google Play Payments policy.
- Apple says credits bought with in-app purchase may not expire, and apps should offer a way to restore restorable purchases.
- Apple also says digital gift cards that can be redeemed for digital content can only be sold through in-app purchase.
- Google says the price shown in the app must match the price in Google's billing screen.
Which purchases must not use in-app purchase?
Apple's guideline 3.1.3(e) says physical goods and services consumed outside the app must be paid with other methods, such as Apple Pay or card entry, per the App Review Guidelines. Google Play says its billing must not be used for physical goods, for physical services such as transportation, cleaning, gym memberships, food delivery and live event tickets, or for peer-to-peer payments, in its Payments policy.
So a shop, restaurant ordering, booking or field service app takes payments through a provider such as Stripe, the same way the website does. Our mobile app back-end checklist covers where those payments fit in the system.
Which cases sit in between?
| Case | Apple's rule |
|---|---|
| Real-time service between two people, such as one-to-one tutoring or a medical consultation | Other payment methods allowed; one-to-few and one-to-many real-time services must use in-app purchase (3.1.3(d), guidelines) |
| Content or subscriptions bought on your website or another platform | People may use them in the app, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases (3.1.3(b), guidelines) |
| Software sold directly to organizations for their staff or students | Enterprise users may access what was bought; consumer, single user and family sales use in-app purchase (3.1.3(c), guidelines) |
| Reader apps for magazines, books, audio, music or video | May give access to content bought elsewhere (3.1.3(a), guidelines) |
For a business SaaS product with a companion app, this usually means checking whether you sell to companies, to individuals or both, because the answer can differ for each group.
Can the app link to a web checkout?
It depends on the store and the country. Apple's guidelines say that on the United States storefront, apps may include buttons, external links or other calls to action toward other purchase methods; in other storefronts this needs an approved StoreKit External Purchase Link entitlement where one exists, and is otherwise not allowed, according to the current App Review Guidelines. The guidelines also say developers can send communications outside the app to their user base about other ways to buy, for example by email.
Google Play does not allow leading users to other payment methods through the store listing, buttons, webviews or sign-up flows, except where developers in eligible countries enroll in the applicable programs for alternative billing or for leading users outside the app, under the Payments policy. These rules have changed by country more than once, so read them on the day you plan, and again before release.
What do the store fees mean for your pricing?
Apple's Small Business Program offers a reduced commission of 15% to developers with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior calendar year, as described on the Small Business Program page. Google says that of developers subject to a service fee, 99% are eligible for a fee of 15% or less through its programs, per its service fees help page.
Decide early whether app prices match web prices or carry the store fee, and check what each store allows you to say about price differences inside the app.
How should you plan payments before the build?
- List everything you sell and mark each item digital, physical, a real-time service or a business license.
- Decide the countries the app launches in, since link and billing rules vary by storefront.
- Keep one record of what each customer owns, whether they paid in the App Store, on Google Play or on the web, so access works on every device.
- Design the paywall and restore option with the rules in mind, not after review feedback.
If web subscriptions run on Stripe, our guide to SaaS billing with Stripe covers plans and trials, and our SaaS and MVP development team can connect both sides to one account system.
Frequently asked questions
Can we sell a subscription on our website and let people sign in to the app?
Often yes. Apple allows multiplatform services to let people use what they bought elsewhere, but for consumer apps those items must also be available as in-app purchases within the app. Business apps sold directly to organizations for their staff have a separate rule. Check the current guidelines for your app type before you plan the pricing.
Does a booking app for a salon or a cleaning service need in-app purchase?
No. The service happens in the real world, so Apple says these payments must use methods other than in-app purchase, and Google Play lists cleaning services, transportation and tickets for live events among purchases that must not use its billing. A normal card payment provider such as Stripe handles them, the same way your website does.
What about an online tutoring or coaching app?
Apple allows other payment methods for real-time services between two individuals, such as tutoring one student. One-to-few and one-to-many real-time services, such as a group class, must use in-app purchase. Recorded courses are digital content. If the app mixes these, each type of purchase follows its own rule.
Can we just hide the price in the app and send people to our website?
Not everywhere. Outside the United States storefront, Apple does not allow buttons, links or other calls to action toward other purchase methods unless you hold an approved entitlement for that storefront. Google Play also restricts leading users to other payment methods outside its programs. You may still email your existing customers about buying on the web.
Do the store rules change often?
They differ by country and they do change. Apple's guidelines treat the United States storefront differently from others, and both stores run country-specific programs for other payment options. Read the current App Review Guidelines and the Google Play Payments policy when you plan the app and again before each major release, and keep pricing logic flexible.
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