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This might not be relevant to this site, but hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction, or even have experience with the something similar.
We have an app that we can't put registration on because apple want's their cut in the profits, i.e. they want their 30%
But the markup we have on the item for sale is so low that if we give apple 30% we will actually be loosing money.
The question I have then is it allowed to charge more for an item if it is available as an in app purchase than the selling price on our site?
Thanks in advance
Originally Apple said you couldn't charge more on the app store, but the latest version of the developer guidelines has removed that restriction, so it should be fine to charge more on the app store so that you cover your costs.
What you can't do is mention anywhere in the app that the user can buy it cheaper from your site.
You can see the exact terms in this document (you'll need to log in with your developer account to see it). The bit relating to in-app purchase is under section 11. Purchasing and currencies:
https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guidelines.html
The relevant part is quoted below (note that Apple may change these guidelines at any time):
11.12
Apps offering subscriptions must do so using IAP, Apple will share the same 70/30 revenue split with developers for these purchases, as set forth in the Developer Program License Agreement.
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
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
That would be kind of cheating..
Come up with schemes of combined items from your site to match apple's own..otherwise drop the idea..either you will go bankrupt or your customer will be :D (well not exactly..but you got the point)
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I want to create an iPhone/iPad application for a restaurant menu. The application works only for this restaurant. I want to install the application without uploading it in the app store.
I don't want to install the application into the devices as developer device.
What options do I have for this kind of distribution scenario?
Look at docu for Enterprise Apps. But then the restaurant needs an Apple Enterprise license, and everybody installing the app must be an employee of the restaurant.
Developper and ad-hoc apps work only for a limited time (3 months if i remember correctly).
Apple offers two ways you can do this. (The third is jailbreaking.)
The older way, an Enterprise membership. This is more designed for large organizations with an IT department:
$300 annually
you deploy directly to the device
terms of the contract say: may only deploy onto devices owned by the business (and yes, they can tell if you abuse this)
apps last 1 year, must be re-signed and re-deployed
kinda labor-intensive and fiddly, especially if the developer and device manager are different people, or use different signing keys; really needs an MDM system to work well
since Apple doesn't review your code, you can use private API if you want. woo hoo.
There's a newer way, which I highly recommend: the B2B App Store.
works with your $100 developer membership
deployment uses Apple for hosting, doesn't expire
needs no special software; works well with Apple Configurator
app is private to whoever you specify
the business gets access by signing up for the free "volume purchase program".
In fact, the whole process is almost exactly like a normal app store app, except that the app is not public. Apple reviews it, puts it in the "secret" store. Developer specifies some Apple IDs; only those Apple IDs can see the app in the store (through the volume purchase interface.) They can install it, AND/OR generate redemption codes for it (which work for anyone.) It's very slick. There's a good 2012 WWDC video about it for dev program members.
https://developer.apple.com/programs/volume/b2b/
Both programs require the business to have a DUNS number. This is generally not a problem.
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I have an app that buttons and images and icons set for only representational purposes. My friend is making better ones and so my app is not finished yet but apple said that I have 30 days to submit a binary or my app will be deleted from the iTunes connect. So i uploaded my binary and here is the rejection message.
10.6: Apple and our customers place a high value on simple, refined, creative, well thought through interfaces. They take more work but are worth it. Apple sets a high bar. If your user interface is complex or less than very good it may be rejected
10.6
We found the following issues with the user interface of your app:
It would be appropriate to add additional functionality to the application in order to enhance the user’s experience. For ideas on how to improve
the user’s experience, you may wish to review the User Experience
Guidelines section of the iOS Human Interface Guidelines.
It would also be appropriate to differentiate, either in the Application Description or in the app, which purchases are consumable and which ones are non-consumable.
For technical assistance, you may wish to consult with Apple Developer Technical Support. Depending on your questions, be sure to include any crash logs, screenshots, or steps to reproduce the issues you’ve encountered.
These examples identify types of issues discovered in your app but may not represent all such issues. It would be appropriate to thoroughly evaluate your app to address these types of issues.
When I add icons, images and button images after my friend finishes them, my app would be approved right ? Is this the message that I should get from 10.6 ? And what does this message mean with
It would also be appropriate to differentiate, either in the Application Description or in the app, which purchases are consumable and which ones are non-consumable.
I have one non-consumable IAP and that is pro version IAP. All the others are consumable. I think it is clear that pro version is non-consumable because it has a restore button.
Last thing I want to ask is, since I uploaded a binary my app won't get deleted from iTunes connect right? My app is rejected but I uploaded a binary in time, anyone knows about this ?
Apple will not review incomplete or in test apps as the app store is not the place for testing. Really you should not create an app on iTunes connect until you are ready to submit to the app store.
I would suggest that most likely the app will not get deleted as you have submitted a binary but don't count on it especially as the version you submitted is incomplete and Apple may decide that therefore you still haven't submitted a proper app and delete it all the same
Even if you contact Apple they will not tell you if the app will be approved when the buttons are added. It is their policy to only review what you put in front of them and not to speculate on what will get through.
There are no guarantees that your app will get through the app store when the buttons are added, but you stand a much better chance as your app is complete. It will also depend on if you have followed all of Apple's rules and are not trying to do anything illegal.
I will be tempted to put your non consumable item in a separate section to clearly mark it and make it easier to get the app approved.
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My company is developing an iPad app for a technically unsophisticated government client, and I understand that they need their own Apple Developer account. We would like to open and maintain the developer account for them, because we'll be much happier to have the control of our own destiny, and they'll be much happier to delegate the work to us.
But in the Apple Enrollment Guidelines, it says this:
I'm a contractor who develops apps for companies other than my own.
How do I ensure my client's name is listed as the “Seller” on the App
Store?
If your client plans to distribute the apps you create for them on the
App Store with their legal entity name as the “Seller”, they must
enroll in the iOS Developer Program. They can add you as a member of
their development team so you can access the resources you need to
create the app. While they must be the one who submits the app for
review, you can assist them if necessary.
This makes it sound like any company that wants to be a "Seller" must physically create their own account and do at least some of the work, even when it's clear that another party is the only one that is going to be able to do any of the work. Am I reading this right? Is it really not possible for a contractor to set up a developer account on behalf of a client?
Yes that is correct. Your client is responsible for creating an account and paying the developer fee.
You could create the account, but then when your contract is over you would be getting support requests, be responsible for all future updates, and have to renew the account every year. It's better for your client to create the account. SEE EDIT
Edit: Found a thread on this discussion - http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=10608297F86BD057C74C0F9. The post by MGoBlue on 10/10/11 at 09:04 PM is Apple's stance, which says not to do that. Don't mess with Apple, have your client create an account and invite you to it.
There's also a note about this on Apple's Program Enrollment FAQ:
I'm a contractor who develops apps for companies other than my own. How do I ensure my client's name is listed as the “Seller” on the App Store?
If your client plans to distribute the apps you create for them on the App Store with their legal entity name as the “Seller”, they must enroll in the iOS Developer Program. They can add you as a member of their development team so you can access the resources you need to create the app. While they must be the one who submits the app for review, you can assist them if necessary.
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I have found another question
where the marked answer, from June 2010 is "Your apps will be removed" however, another person answers that apps will not be removed, and claims as recent as February this year to be sure of this.
I think Apple support pages are very vague on this matter.
Is there anyone out there who knows for sure what happens?
(I hope this behavior is okay (re-asking the same question in a new post) - ideally a bump of that thread would have been my choose, but I don't know how to do that, or if it is possible on Stack Overflow. I don't have enough reputation to comment or edit the other question.)
No.
See http://developer.apple.com/support/ios/program-renewals.html:
If I don't renew my membership will my
application(s) still function for
those customers who have already
installed my application(s) from the
App Store?
Yes. Although you will lose App Store
distribution, your application(s) will
still function for customers who have
installed your application(s) from the
App Store on their device(s).
It makes commercial good sense for Apple to stop featuring your app in their store when you're not paying the yearly fee, since the infrastructure used to host your app would still be an ongoing cost for them.
Also, if Apple didn't purge non-paying customer's apps, over time the app store would become a huge aggregation of unmaintained apps which would dwarf newer higher quality apps. Remember that Apple often releases updates to iOS which requires updates and tweaks to existing apps -- for them to keep stale unmaintained apps around just doesn't make any sense at all.
Today I got this reply from Apple Developer Support:
As for your inquiry regarding to program renewal, please know that we advise you that your application will be removed from the App Store upon your expiration date unless you renew. If you'd like to continue to distribute your application on the App Store beyond your current expiration date, you'll need to renew into the Program before your current Program expires.
i can confirm that your app will be removed from the apple app store if you do not renew you apple developer program account. it just happened me, what a bummer. Hope this helps clarify this question
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I know that similar questions exist on that site, but I must to be sure what can I do and what can't. I'd like to create a free application but with some restrictions. For example, you can download only one time per day a text for some song. If you want more, than you must buy it. I use for that In App Purchase, but I want also use another payments (credit cards, paypal etc.). If I good understand, I can't do that in the app, but can I use for that some website? I don't have to show that website in the app (but would be nice).
Another question, If I am a registered user I can download texts without any restrictions, but I must give in the app username and password. Can I make a registration form in the app, or I can register only on the website?
You may not able to charge for "virtual" goods without using Apple's official in-app-purchase mechanism without Apple rejecting your App.
But it is perfectly ok (even required!) if you sell real goods to your customers. The guidelines say that you may not use in-app-purchases for real goods but only for app enhancements.
So i would just redirect your users to your website for signup/payment and provide them with a username/password combination to be able to log in with the app. Other internet services like flickr are exactly doing that.
You can make a registration form in your app. But you definately cannot show a website with other payment methods inside your app. Apple will reject the app.
It is best to hide other payment methods from apple alltogether.
As for the free downloads part. It's allowed, apple can't stop you from giving free stuff to your customers. A login authorizing at the external website is just fine. But as long as they can't see your using other payment methods :).