The Information Rejected From App Store Over Pricing
Um. Anyone had an Apple App Store update rejected because Apple didnt like their pricing strategy? I cannot believe this just happened to @theinformation! Trying to fix but lets say this takes Apple’s power over the entire tech ecosystem to a new level.
For context, nothing tricky about pricing. Our standard app pricing with monthly and annual at a discount to monthly. Apple asks “Please explain what factors led you to choose this pricing.” Really Apple????
The price of hundreds of dollars per year is high compared with most apps but not compared with other professional publications. And the publication is well known and longstanding—obviously not a scam.
The role of the App Store should be to make it clear to customers what the price is, say on an annual basis, to prevent confusion due to different billing intervals. I don’t like Apple deciding whether a pricing strategy is appropriate, nor the policy of asking about your product roadmap before they allow you to offer a subscription.
Nick:
Yes this is exactly what I faced in 2018, with our education app Mathew.
Apple has recently shifted from human policing & enforcement to an algorithmic approach internally.
A softwares assessment that’s telling teams to investigate your app. Wish their was transparent here.
Yes happened to our devs’ previous app multiple times, including on the very same day Tim Cook was telling US Congress ‘developers choose their own prices’.
Previously:
- IAP Bait-And-Switch Apps
- Apple Store Polices “Irrationally High Prices”
- The Information’s App Store Ordeal
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Yes I've had exactly this problem, at a similar price point. I worked at a place that offered a browser-based service for years, and then expanded to mobile. Apple of course required them to offer IAP, which they didn't want but had to have. The company also didn't want anyone to ever use IAP, which they mostly didn't. But we still had to deal with hurdles with Apple over the price from time to time.
