Apple rejects apps that offer overpriced in-app purchases
2020 was a financially successful year for Apple's App Store, which can be largely attributed to the 30% cut the Cupertino company takes from in-app purchases developers can offer users.
As is to be expected, Apple wants to keep the success going and thus, each time a developer wants to add a new app to the App Store, that app goes through a rigorous approval process, in order to determine its quality and legitimacy. And aside from the obvious reasons to reject an app, such as it being unstable and buggy, or containing shocking or offensive content, Apple doesn't seem welcoming towards apps that offer overpriced, low-value in-app purchase products either.
Recently 9to5Mac got a hold of an app rejection letter from Apple, which sheds new light at just how serious the company is about retaining user trust and avoiding its users getting ripped off via in-app purchases. The rejection letter reads:
As is to be expected, Apple wants to keep the success going and thus, each time a developer wants to add a new app to the App Store, that app goes through a rigorous approval process, in order to determine its quality and legitimacy. And aside from the obvious reasons to reject an app, such as it being unstable and buggy, or containing shocking or offensive content, Apple doesn't seem welcoming towards apps that offer overpriced, low-value in-app purchase products either.
Customers expect the App Store to be a safe and trusted marketplace for purchasing digital goods. Apps should never betray this trust by attempting to rip-off or cheat users in any way.
Unfortunately, the prices you’ve selected for your app or in-app purchase products in your app do not reflect the value of the features and content offered to the user. Charging irrationally high prices for content or services with limited value is a rip-off to customers and is not appropriate for the App Store.
Specifically, the prices for the following items are irrationally high:
– (redacted)
Next Steps
To resolve this issue, we recommend you take the following steps:
– Revise your app or in-app purchase products to provide more value to the user at the time of purchase – Choose a price for your app or in-app purchase products that accurately reflects the value being provided to the user – Once you’ve made appropriate changes, resubmit your app for review
The next submission of this app may require a longer review time, and it won’t be eligible for an expedited review until this issue is resolved.
Unfortunately, the prices you’ve selected for your app or in-app purchase products in your app do not reflect the value of the features and content offered to the user. Charging irrationally high prices for content or services with limited value is a rip-off to customers and is not appropriate for the App Store.
Specifically, the prices for the following items are irrationally high:
– (redacted)
Next Steps
To resolve this issue, we recommend you take the following steps:
– Revise your app or in-app purchase products to provide more value to the user at the time of purchase – Choose a price for your app or in-app purchase products that accurately reflects the value being provided to the user – Once you’ve made appropriate changes, resubmit your app for review
The next submission of this app may require a longer review time, and it won’t be eligible for an expedited review until this issue is resolved.
And while Apple's efforts towards user satisfaction are admirable, the developers of the app in question believed that the rejection was a mistake. After reaching out to the app review team, the devs were able to clarify how this is in fact the case, and their app was ultimately approved.
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Things that are NOT allowed: