A potential customer of mine wants to build an app for the iPhone, which will effectively "reward" the user with points to buy songs at the iTunes Store. Does anyone know if this is possible? If so, could you point out where I might look for how to do so?
Thanks...
I dont think this is possible to do through any api. You could send gift cards... but you probably wont get into the store. Apple does not allow any kind of app that rewards customers with real-world items. I tried to submit a lottery app where buying the app would give you a ticket. It was rejected because Apple has no way to guarantee that you would actually give out any prizes. What if you dont? The only thing you can offer is unlocking features in your app, or digital gifts like stuffed-animal pics and such.
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I have an application that my client wants to give away to customers for free.
To get the full functionality, the customers would have to fill in a code.
Other customers will need to do an In App Purchase to get the full functionality.
Is this allowed by Apple or will I bump into app store restrictions.
Tried to find it, but haven't found a decent answer.
Anyone tried it before ?
Thanks !
Please see this other SO answer:
Redeem codes for inapp purchase items
I dont think it is possible to do what you want. Either everyone has to enter a code, or everyone has to do an in-app purchase.
You could also have both of these options available inside the app, but that may seem messy and informal for customers
I would say you could ask the user for a login (email + password). You could then connect to a server of yours and check the credentials. If the server knows this user because you host a list of all the users allowed to use the premium options for free, you could unlock your premium features. Otherwise, you ask Apple for the In App Purchase precedure.
Quick question. Tried googling and SO and couldnt find anything like this.
Is it allowed to create a gamecenter achievement for things that aren't actually progress in the game? For example can you have an achievement for:
Emailing Me with Feedback
Rating the App on the App Store
Unlocking Levels Through In-App Purchases
Sharing the App on Facebook/Twitter
Completing a Tutorial
Anyone tried to implement any of these? Thanks for any input! I dont want to get rejected because of an achievement!
Regarding the following:
Emailing Me with Feedback
Sharing the App on Facebook/Twitter
Completing a Tutorial
You can absolutely create GameCenter achievements for these. I have done similar things in many games (ie. we always have an achievement for competing the first level (which contains a tutorial) and for sending a "Challenge a Friend" email). Apple has never blinked at it. You're perfectly welcome to make whatever achievements you like, as long as they don't promote behavior that Apple otherwise frowns upon.
Regarding Unlocking Levels Through In-App Purchases, you can, but I would recommend against it. A lot of users take pride in completing every achievement available in a game, and there's a gaming personality that relies heavily on things like this. To prevent these users from earning every achievement without an In-App Purchase alienates a good portion of your userbase, which is no way to get a successful app. But as I said-you can, if you want.
Regarding Rating the App on the App Store, you can sort-of do this. You can have a button that asks the user to rate the app and takes them to the app store, but you can't get any confirmation that they actually did rate the app once they got to that page. So you'd have to just give them the achievement on the honor system, once they clicked the button, and hope they really did rate it. (Just like the "emailing you with feedback" one--you can guarantee they sent an email, but not that it contained anything worth reading (or even that they ended up sending it to YOU!)).
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Everything but "completing a tutorial" could get you rejected from the App Store. Apple frowns on shenanigans like that.
If the tutorial is set up as part of your game (i.e. it's not just a PDF or text file you show) then they should be fine with it.
We are not Apple. Their rules are not explained to us any more than they are to you. If you need more firm answers, you should contact Apple and ask them directly.
I would like to make a contest for my iPhone and iPad apps users. I would like to give some bonus content for winners as a reward. Normally that content is paid (for eg. additional levels) and it's available via in-app purchase, so I'm trying to find any way to give them something like normal promo codes. (Promo codes are not working with in-app purchase). Is that possible to set up Test Accounts for testing in app purchase after going live (my apps are already in the App Store), so I could configure them for winners? If not, what would be solution as an alternative for promo codes? Many review sites are asking for promo codes too, so answer would be helpful in other cases. Thanks
We intend to launch a free iPhone/iPad app on the AppStore.
The content will actually be accessible thanks to a subscription model (login/pwd authentication in iPhone app).
The subscription (about 100$ a month) is handled via a dedicated web server.
If used without subscription, this app will provide minimum value.
Does anyone know if this kind of subscription model can be rejected by Apple ?
I know some apps follow this model, but I'd like to have your thought on this before starting in this direction.
Thanks for your answer.
This is fine AFAIK - As long your app is free and you put in the description that it requires a subscription to whichever service. When you submit the app, you'll need to hand over details to a test account to Apple so that they can test it, but other than that it's no hassle at all.
I know of an app which works just like that on the app store right now - Spotify for iPhone. It's a music playing app which streams music from the web - but you need a Spotify premium account. When you first open the app, you have to sign in, and if you don't have a premium account it just tells you that you're not allowed in!
Javawag
There are plenty of apps which only work if I have an account somewhere, and some for which I have to pay for that account so, without knowing the specifics, there is nothing which immediately rules out your subscription model. There are even Apple apps, iDisk for example, which are useless if you don't have a $100 mobile me subscription.
If there are issues you can look at selling your subscription as an in app purchase (apple will take their 30% which should make them happy) or look at making the app more functional without the subscription.
Either way, when submitting for approval make sure to set up a sample account with a full subscription that the apple testers can use (there is space in the submission for including logins for this kind of thing).
Our app, previously approved, update was just rejected because we sell subscriptions through our website. (We have been doing this for 15 years, without giving Apple 30% of our money.) They are requiring that all subscriptions for iphone/ipad content go through in-app purchasing. I guess we will be looking at building a browser based app instead.
Cheers,
Gerry
I'm going to upload an free App to the App store in a few weeks. I come from Holland. Will it be available worldwide, or just here? I'm concerned because App Store always shows me Apps from my country in the top lists, and I realld doubt that so many Apps come from here.
It's up to you. When you submit your app for review in iTunes Connect, you are asked to choose which countries' stores will list it.