Claiming that auto-renewal subscription apps are now sometimes “unintentionally interrupted” when users fail to see price increases notifications and don’t choose a new price, Apple announced changes to the App Store rules yesterday. Subscription applications can now raise prices and continue auto-renewal without explicit user consent.
It is painful for Apple to reduce any concerns that it may lead to exploitation. For one thing there will still be growth notifications, “via email, with push notifications and a message within the app” and any user who sees these notifications and does not agree to the increase will be able to go to the app and unsubscribe. (Keep in mind that this change was supposedly needed because users did not see and opt out of the notifications, one might question whether they are more likely to view and opt out. Out.)
By examining what appears to be a pilot scheme for the Apple Disney + app, we can get an idea of what this notification will look like: As Max Sullivan noted in March, users of this app Notification To raise prices beyond their consent.
Second, there are fairly strict limits on the degree to which app developers can raise prices. They will not be allowed to raise prices more than once per year (or, rather, any increase beyond that limit will have to go through the current explicit opt-in process), and these increases will be limited to $ 5 (or equivalent) in local currency) or $ 50 for the annual subscription, and 50 percent of the current price. There is no risk of an unscrupulous developer turning িক 1.99 to $ 199 a month without you knowing it.
Apple added that the change would only apply to areas where local law allows it. In Chile, for example, users must consent to any increase in subscription prices.
Subscription can be canceled at any time. Read: For tips on how to unsubscribe from iPhone or iPad.
The big question: Does Google do that too?
No. Apple has distanced itself from its main app-store rival in making this change.
If you visit the Contextual Help Page for Android Developers, you will read the following:
“When you increase the price of a subscription, you have at least seven days to notify your existing customers about the price change before Google Play starts notifying them directly.
“Existing customers have at least 30 days to review the price increase and decide whether to accept it. If they do not accept the price increase, their subscription is automatically canceled before they can pay a higher price otherwise. ”
This is a big challenge. Will users prefer the nominal advantage of Apple’s new policy or the tight financial controls offered by Google? It will be interesting to see how this works and how the two companies sell their respective perspectives to users. Probably Google will follow suit.