In-app purchase outside of the appstore - app-store

I'm making an app for a certain museum. Some parts of the app should be restricted only for visitors purchasing tickets with a code printed on them.
This code can used to get access to the restricted parts of the app.
Is it something apple can reject?

There is no way apple can reject your app. It has changed strict guidelines of its iOS developer agreement to allow in-app subscriptions outside the App Store.
The App Store Review Guidelines states the following:
11.14 Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video) that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the app, as long as there is no button or external link in the app to purchase the approved content. Apple will not receive any portion of the revenues for approved content that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the app.

Regarding Feb 2018 version of App Store Review Guidelines 3.1.1 this is not possible for now.
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#payments
3.1.1 In-App Purchase: If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game
currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a
full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may use in-app
purchase currencies to enable customers to “tip” digital content
providers in the app. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons,
external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to
purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.

Related

how to i implement Apple in-app Subscriptions in Flutter

I want to provide auto or even Manuel renewable subscription in my Flutter App for iOS devices. Users can subscribe for 1 Month or 1 year.
Which one is the best? How to implement? Are these secure?
i tired Square Plugin; but got this response from Apple
Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase
We noticed that your app offers a subscription with a mechanism other
than the in-app purchase API.
Specifically, subscription to view digital content within the app.
Next Steps
To resolve this issue, please revise your app to ensure that the
subscription for products used within the app is offered using the
in-app purchase API, with the exception of the content specified in
guideline 3.1.3 of the App Store Review Guidelines.
and
In-App Purchase
It may be appropriate to revise your app to use the in-app purchase
API to provide content purchasing functionality.
In-app purchase provides several benefits, including:
The flexibility to support a variety of business models.
Impacting your app ranking by consolidating your sales to one app rather than distributing them across multiple apps.
An effective marketing vehicle to drive additional sales of new content.
For information on in-app purchase, please refer to the following
documentation:
In-App Purchase for Developers
In-App Purchase Programming Guide
For step-by-step instructions on in-app purchase creation within App
Store Connect, refer to App Store Connect Help.
You can't use Square to sell digital goods in your app. Apple will only allow you to use StoreKit.
You can implement this directly, which may be annoying for flutter especially for subscriptions. You can also use an SDK like RevenueCat's Flutter SDK. (Full disclosure, I'm the CEO of RevenueCat).

Promotion code for iOS in-app purchases

I'd like to offer 100% discounts via one time use coupons on IAPs. Can it be done? And more than just 100 of them, which I think is the number of coupons Apple allows. My goal is to generate future IAPs by introducing players who don't use them to try them.
From what I've been able to tell, it seems that Apple doesn't officially allow IAP promotion codes.
From: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#purchasing-currencies
1.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be
rejected
See also
1) https://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/37264-rejected-by-apple-cause-of-promo-code-custom-solution/
2) How to create a promotion code for iOS in-app purchases
If you still want to power ahead and do this, one way is a URL scheme. Briefly, you enable your app to respond to something like: myAppName://... when that URL is present in an email being read using the Apple Mail app, or when that URL is typed into Safari. Then, your app examines the URL parameters and pulls out, say a code identifying the type of comped purchase (e.g., perhaps consulting a back-end server), and makes the comped purchase available to the user.
See also:
A) Free iOS in app purchase for some users/devices
B) Rewarding iOS app beta testers with in app purchase?
C) iOS In-App Purchase, sending to another account (gifting?)
D) Providing a discount code for an iOS in-app-purchase

Payment options in ios sdk without in app purchase and PayPal

I have a requirement in my new iPhone application, where I have to made payment like paisapay (Ebay) does. can I open a web page where user can fill information related to payment and server will handle payment? This Transaction will be in secure manner (In standard way). is it possible? Apple will approve app?
If you are using this means to unlock functionality in the app after payment, it will be rejected else it's okay.
As per app review guidelines
11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be
rejected
11.13 Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, such as a “buy” button that goes
to a web site to purchase a digital book, will be rejected
For more reference please read the latest App store review guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
maybe this might help you
http://www.zooz.com/
FYI: In accordance with Apple’s App Store Guidelines, ZooZ can be used without limitation for purchasing physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application.

Appstore approval - Redeeming third-party gift codes through app

We have been asked by our client to develop an application that would enable redeeming gift codes that unlock additional content. The Application itself would not provide a way to purchase those codes.
It would work something like this -
1) a customer shops for groceries
2) when reciving the receipt/bill at the check-out the customer recieves a gift code.
3) entering this code in app unlocks additional premium content inaccessible otherwise.
The question is if this app would be approved by Apple?
In our opinion this model falls into the following point in Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines
11.14 Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines,
newspapers, books, audio, music, and video) that is subscribed to or
purchased outside of the app, as long as there is no button or
external link in the app to purchase the approved content. Apple will
not receive any portion of the revenues for approved content that is
subscribed to or purchased outside of the app
but on the other hand there's this point:
11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality
with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
Have any of you know of application using similar business model?
We did something very similar for a major snack food company. The user entered EAN codes (the European equivalent of UPC codes) from the packaging to unlock different musical instruments from within the application. Apple did not reject the app and it is still for sale today.

Purchase/view content from iPhone app OR website

I'm developing a website and a companion iPhone app where users can purchase video content. I'd like to let users buy content from the iPhone app or the website, and then view their purchased content through either medium. My understanding is that the app will be rejected from the App Store unless it uses the StoreKit framework for in-app purchases, so I can't implement my own purchase backend. As far as I can tell, though, there's no such thing as a web version of the StoreKit framework.
Is there any way to make/verify "in-app purchases" from outside an app, e.g. through a website?
There must be, because the DC Comics/Comics/Marvel Comics apps from Comixology all do. You can purchase content either from the in-app store, or via the website. And then you can read the content both in the device or online.
Alas, I don't know how they did it. I guess that the web shop replicates the in-app purchases when you buy something: i.e., the device calls home after an in-app purchase and adds that purchase to your online account as well. And, when you buy something online, you can download it from within the app, bypassing the apple store. You can even download content in one app that was purchased in the other (they are mostly the same app with different branding)