A new notification window will make it easier to resolve payment issues with in-app subscriptions on iPhone and iPad starting this summer. In some cases, the current regulation even means that new subscriptions have to be taken out, which in the worst case means that introductory discounts or other price reductions are lost. In its developer portal, Apple has now announced the upcoming changes that will be introduced automatically for all apps.
If the payment method stored with Apple, such as a credit card, no longer works, in-app subscriptions will not be renewed and users will have to go to their Apple ID settings to fix the problems. Apparently, this approach has also prompted some subscribers to question the continuation of their subscription.
Embedded in the operating system
In the future, it will be possible to fix the problems in the affected app itself, Apple announced. The dialog window indicates the payment problem and offers a direct link to store another means of payment. The new function is anchored in the operating system and was rolled out by Apple with iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4. As a result, from summer the change will only be visible on devices that have the new version installed. Developers do not need to submit an update to their app. However, you are encouraged to try the new window in a sandbox now.
Apple says it uses machine learning to make retries at the best possible time to debit the payment. In addition, developers have the option of granting a payment period. Users can continue to use the subscription while Apple tries to collect the payment in the background.
According to the developer documentation, Apple tries to catch up on payment for an in-app subscription for 60 days. The new message will appear every 24 hours for the first three days of payment issues and every five days for the last 30 days.
(mki)
