Apple is moving ahead with some more of the App Store changes promised back in June, with an email sent to developers today announcing new auto-renewable subscription capabilities and advising that they can now begin getting their apps and games ready for the new subscription model. As Apple’s developer page on Offering Subscriptions explains, auto-renewable subscriptions can now be offered on all Apple platforms and in all app categories, including games, to provide users with access to content or services on an ongoing basis, and automatically renew until a user chooses to cancel. Developers will be able to allow users to sign up for subscriptions with free trial periods, subject to the normal subscription durations, and will also be able to offer upgrades, downgrades, and crossgrades to subscriptions, all controlled via Apple’s in-app purchase APIs.
Similarly, as Apple SVP Phil Schiller announced in June, Apple will also be implementing a new revenue structure for auto-renewable subscriptions, providing developers with a larger share of the revenue for users who continue to subscribe to the app’s services. After a subscriber accumulates on year of paid services, regardless of whether they’re on a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription plan, developers will received 85% of the subscription price, as opposed to the standard 70% cut that Apple normally offers. Users can also upgrade, downgrade, or crossgrade within a subscription group without affecting the days of paid service, and Apple will offer a 60 day grace period during which a user can cancel their subscription and return without resetting their days of paid service toward the higher revenue model. Full details on the new in-app subscription system and revenue sharing can be found on Apple’s Subscriptions page.
