Business / Apple allows developers to give in-app subscription discounts to past and existing users

Apple is making changes to way in-app subscriptions work on its App on iOS & Mac OS platforms. Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to offer a discounted price for specific duration for existing or previously subscribed customers. These offers provide the flexibility to create unique promotions to grow & retain your customer base. App developers could offer introductory discounts only to new users.

The development was announced by Apple on its Developer Page. "Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to offer a discounted price for a specific duration for existing or previously subscribed customers," Apple wrote on its Developer page.

"These offers provide the flexibility to create unique promotions to grow and retain your customer base. They can help win back subscribers who have canceled their subscriptions or promote an upgrade to another subscription at a special price," the company added.

Up until now, app developers could offer introductory discounts only to new users. This posed as a problem as developers often failed to entice users who cancelled their subscription. But the company is changing that. Developers can offer discounts to users under three models. Developers can either offer free subscription to users for a specific trial period following which standard renewal prices would apply or they can offer a promotional price for each biling period for a specific duration which would be followed by a standard renewal price.

Alternatively, deevelopers will also be offer users a one-time promotional price for a specific duration which will be followed by standard renewal price.