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Apple Adds 'Learn More About In-App Purchases' Feature to iPad App Store

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Apr 12, 2001
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As noted by AppAdvice, Apple yesterday added a new "Learn More About In-App Purchases" feature to the iPad version of the App Store, marking yet another step in the company's efforts to make users aware that some free and paid apps may offer the ability to purchase additional content from within the apps.

in_app_purchase_ipad_1.jpg
The document includes four sections, addressing what In-App Purchases are, types of In-App Purchases, how they work, and how Parental Controls in iOS can be used to turn the feature off entirely.
On devices running iOS 4.3 or later, you must enter your password to make an In-App Purchase. Once you enter your password to make that purchase, additional In-App Purchases can be made without reentering your password for 15 minutes. To change your settings to require a password entry with every purchase, open Settings, tap General, then tap Restrictions, and change Require Password.
Click to expand...
in_app_purchase_ipad_2.jpg
The new addition comes roughly a month after Apple added prominent "Offers In-App Purchases" labels on App Store pages for apps supporting the feature. The company also recently settled a lawsuit related to children having been able to make In-App Purchases, occasionally for as much as thousands of dollars, without authorization.

The new informational feature is currently visible only in the iPad version of the App Store, and it is unclear if and when it will make its way to the App Store on the iPhone and in iTunes.

Article Link: Apple Adds 'Learn More About In-App Purchases' Feature to iPad App Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/26/apple-adds-learn-more-about-in-app-purchases-feature-to-ipad-app-store/
All this just to stop silly, uneducated parents letting their kids run up thousands on their credit card.

Never give a tech product to a child that you don't fully understand yourself.
 
These changes are a good step and really low hanging fruit.

Many people are not computer literate and to help them understand concepts such as In App Purchases is a good thing. Try to educate your user base. They will get more out of the product.
 
Nothing about what I consider the major issues of IAP, like Lodsys or the people who boycott apps with IAP...

Also, it seems to me that it's highly unlikely parents will ever notice this. Apple should add a popup for when you buy an app with IAP that says "This app contains In App Purchases" and have buttons for "Learn More", "Cancel", "Continue" and an on/off toggle for "Never Tell Me About this Again", if they truly want parents to learn about it... I suppose this screen should also be the password screen, since most kids never show their iOS device to their parents except when they need a password to download stuff.
 
All because of lazy parents. If they don't care what their kids are doing on their devices, then why would they care to read that?
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Nothing about what I consider the major issues of IAP, like Lodsys or the people who boycott apps with IAP...

Also, it seems to me that it's highly unlikely parents will ever notice this. Apple should add a popup for when you buy an app with IAP that says "This app contains In App Purchases" and have buttons for "Learn More", "Cancel", "Continue" and an on/off toggle for "Never Tell Me About this Again", if they truly want parents to learn about it.
Click to expand...

Apple aren't going to mention the Lodsys lawsuits, or boycotting of apps in an education piece for consumers. And if you mean MacRumors should have mentioned it, I think if you're visiting this site it's likely you know about such things.

In regards to the popup, it just adds more clutter for something that a lot of people will ignore anyway. The people who are having the issues with kids racking up huge IAP purchases are not those who will read stuff like 'Learn More', in my experience.

[Experience: 4 years spent working in smartphone/mobile device retail]
 
Jsameds said:
All this just to stop silly, uneducated parents letting their kids run up thousands on their credit card.

Never give a tech product to a child that you don't fully understand yourself.
Click to expand...

I disagree with your assessment and your tone.
 
Jsameds said:
All this just to stop silly, uneducated parents letting their kids run up thousands on their credit card.

Never give a tech product to a child that you don't fully understand yourself.
Click to expand...

Well, since they made the change over a year ago to make in-app purchases require the device password, no, this really has nothing to do with that problem.

Unless you somehow feel it needed solving twice?
 
Jsameds said:
All this just to stop silly, uneducated parents letting their kids run up thousands on their credit card.

Never give a tech product to a child that you don't fully understand yourself.
Click to expand...

And it won't help cause in most stories the kid was the one in the store and either knew the password or handed the device to the parents with it already asking for the password and just said 'its free' and got the info etc
 
The obvious solution is to have a secondary password for in-app purchases. I don't know why Apple haven't done it already. Then if parents give this password to their kids they are knowingly permitting them to buy them.
 
Apple said:
On devices running iOS 4.3 or later, you must enter your password to make an In-App Purchase. Once you enter your password to make that purchase, additional In-App Purchases can be made without reentering your password for 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

Apple (fixed) said:
On devices running iOS 4.3 or later, you must enter your password to make an ANY Purchase. Once you enter your password to make that purchase, additional In-App Purchases can be made without reentering your password for 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

There, fixed it for Apple. Until they finally separate regular purchases from IAPs, that is.
 
Immediately it sounds like a good idea. Many ignorant parents let their kids go bananas with the credit card to buy virtual jewelry for their game character. One drawback I can see, though, is that these people wouldn't care to learn about in-app purchases until it's too late anyway. They won't tap the "learn more about in-app purchases" button until the bill comes from the CC company (hmmm... a bit thicker than usual...)
 
DesertEagle said:
Immediately it sounds like a good idea. Many ignorant parents let their kids go bananas with the credit card to buy virtual jewelry for their game character. One drawback I can see, though, is that these people wouldn't care to learn about in-app purchases until it's too late anyway. They won't tap the "learn more about in-app purchases" button until the bill comes from the CC company (hmmm... a bit thicker than usual...)
Click to expand...

Apple will normally refund most people when that happens the first time.
 
It's not going to be enough - there's regulatory action coming unless they do something substantial like requiring the code off the back of the card to be entered or making it very much more explicit, or giving in app purchases a seperate password.
 
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