Apple Now Letting Developers Automatically Charge for Some Subscription Price Increases

[MacRumors]

Apple today informed developers that it is implementing a new subscription feature that will allow customers to be charged automatically when an app's subscription price goes up, which is not the way that subscriptions work at the current time.

Right now, customers must explicitly agree to a pricing change when the cost of a subscription increases through an "Agree to New Price" interface. If a customer does not tap on agree when the warning comes up, their subscription is automatically canceled, but that's changing.

Going forward, developers will be able to increase the price of a subscription and have it auto renew, with customers simply being informed rather than needing to outright agree. Apple says that "under specific conditions and with advance user notice" developers can offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase without the user needing to take action and without their subscription being impacted.

There are specific limits that Apple is placing on developers to make sure this functionality is not abused. A pricing increase cannot occur more than once per year, and it cannot exceed $5 and 50 percent of the subscription price, or $50 and 50 percent for an annual subscription price.

Apple says that it will always notify users of the pricing increase in advance, via email, push notification, and a message within the app. Apple will also provide instructions on how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions.

With this update, under certain specific conditions and with advance user notice, developers may also offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase, without the user needing to take action and without interrupting the service. The specific conditions for this feature are that the price increase doesn't occur more than once per year, doesn't exceed US$5 and 50% of the subscription price, or US$50 and 50% for an annual subscription price, and is permissible by local law. In these situations, Apple always notifies users of an increase in advance, including via email, push notification, and a message within the app. Apple will also notify users of how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions if preferred.

In situations where prices increase more often than once a year or exceed Apple's thresholds, subscribers will need to opt in as usual before the pricing increase is applied. Apple says that this will also happen in territories where the law requires it.

Apple has already been testing these subscription changes, which essentially turn subscription price increases from an opt-in system to an opt-out system. Back in April, some developers noticed that when Disney+ increased its price to $7.99 per month, the app sent out a notification that was an alert rather than an opt-in choice.

At the time, Apple said that it was "piloting a new commerce feature," describing it as an "enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users." With this change, App Store users should make sure to pay attention to the warnings received in apps, through push notifications, and through email to ensure they don't miss subscription pricing increases.

Article Link: Apple Now Letting Developers Automatically Charge for Some Subscription Price Increases

 

[turbineseaplane]

Price increases should require new agreements

“Watch for notifications so you don’t miss price increases”….. is supposed to be good for users?

This is gaslighting 101 from Apple

 

[now i see it]

App Store is becoming increasingly more toxic

 

[MGrayson3]

Wait! I thought Apple was screwing developers. Now I don't know what to hate them for.?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Wow! For some reason, this does not seem to be Apple’s approach. Are they being enforced?

I have a feeling there is going to be many Apps that will lead to scamming the consumers.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Wait! I thought Apple was screwing developers. Now I don't know what to hate them for.?

They don’t really care who they screw, as long as they get their cut

 

[fwmireault]

Although the customer is still noticed of the price increase beforehand, this is a setback for customer transparency and control. Why the pop-up window was considered a bad thing?

 

[cardfan]

Pretty clever apple. I guess many were stopping their subs when prompted with an action. Now you should be able to fool more customers. Tim has to eat you know.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

With this change, App Store users should make sure to pay attention to the warnings received in apps, through push notifications, and through email to ensure they don't miss subscription pricing increases.

Article Link: Apple Now Letting Developers Automatically Charge for Some Subscription Price Increases

Time to turn off push notifications for the App store. It's not worth it.

 

[munpip214]

Perhaps this could apply to only new subscriptions or those that provide media/news/etc. I can totally understand something like Netflix auto increasing and it would be considered okay since it would happen regardless. But for regular apps, customers should be locked into a price with their current subscription and not increase it without a new agreement.

 

[jz0309]

I'm not liking the sound of this ... the few subscriptions I do have are not thru the App Store, and I guess I will keep it that way

 

[till]

Trust and a feeling of control are really important parts of getting people to sign up for something like a subscription service which isn't an essential part of their life, and this undermines those principles to a pretty significant extent.

 

[Populus]

Apple says that it will always notify users of the pricing increase in advance, via email, push notification, and a message within the app

Which push notificación? The App Store ones? Because the first thing I do after restoring my devices and entering the App Store for the first time, is disabling the App Store notifications.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Which push notificación? The App Store ones? Because the first thing I do after restoring my devices and entering the App Store for the first time, is disabling the App Store notifications.

Same.

 

[4tune8chance]

Apple today informed developers that it is implementing a new subscription feature that will allow customers to be charged automatically when an app's subscription price goes up, which is not the way that subscriptions work at the current time.

Right now, customers must explicitly agree to a pricing change when the cost of a subscription increases through an "Agree to New Price" interface. If a customer does not tap on agree when the warning comes up, their subscription is automatically canceled, but that's changing.

Going forward, developers will be able to increase the price of a subscription and have it auto renew, with customers simply being informed rather than needing to outright agree. Apple says that "under specific conditions and with advance user notice" developers can offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase without the user needing to take action and without their subscription being impacted.

There are specific limits that Apple is placing on developers to make sure this functionality is not abused. A pricing increase cannot occur more than once per year, and it cannot exceed $5 and 50 percent of the subscription price, or $50 and 50 percent for an annual subscription price.

Apple says that it will always notify users of the pricing increase in advance, via email, push notification, and a message within the app. Apple will also provide instructions on how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions.In situations where prices increase more often than once a year or exceed Apple's thresholds, subscribers will need to opt in as usual before the pricing increase is applied. Apple says that this will also happen in territories where the law requires it.

Apple has already been testing these subscription changes, which essentially turn subscription price increases from an opt-in system to an opt-out system. Back in April, some developers noticed that when Disney+ increased its price to $7.99 per month, the app sent out a notification that was an alert rather than an opt-in choice.

At the time, Apple said that it was "piloting a new commerce feature," describing it as an "enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users." With this change, App Store users should make sure to pay attention to the warnings received in apps, through push notifications, and through email to ensure they don't miss subscription pricing increases.

Article Link: Apple Now Letting Developers Automatically Charge for Some Subscription Price Increases

Terrible idea Apple, you have always said you protect your customers, now it seems your swinging the other way.

 

[mariusignorello]

Consumer law requires 30 days notice in writing. As long as developers communicate price increases in writing (email, text, website banner, push notification) 30 days before the increase, they will be fine. The risk management part of me likes the old “opt-in or cancel” method better, that way nobody can say they didn’t know. Society punishes those that don’t pay attention one way or
another (and rightfully so, if proper notice is given).

 

[ackmondual]

I get they also want to work with developers on this, but would it really be detrimental to them to make it opt-in, or subscription will get cancelled when the time comes around?

 

[mikethemartian]

I get they also want to work with developers on this, but would it really be detrimental to them to make it opt-in, or subscription will get cancelled when the time comes around?

Apple just figures that it is to their advantage to let the price go up without explicit approval of their customers. They figure most of their customers will accept it. However if suddenly users started to cancel their subscriptions en masse they would probably reverse the policy.

 

[JCCL]

Oh gosh, so if I turn off the push notifications for an app due to relentless spamming (for example, I don't like notifications about Prime or Netlflix releases when I'm not in their apps, so I just turned them off), now I will automatically be hit with a price increase if the developer feels like it?

 

[TinyMito]

Wait! I thought Apple was screwing developers. Now I don't know what to hate them for.?

In my other view, everyone is blaming something. Many pointing fingers in this world.

I just live with it, don't like it. Don't buy it.

 

[gluckett]

Allowing an automatic renewal for up to 50% on an annual subscription seems pretty steep.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

this is disgusting

but it's apple and we can't do anything about it

 

[paulovsouza]

I get throwing them a bone, but this doesn’t seem to really dramatic effect devs nor benefit consumers. This really missed the mark.

 

[Shreducator]

Is the main reason Apple’s platform can charge the 30% fee because of the one click payments and reoccurring subscriptions. Is that enough for developers to be ok with it. That’s the trade off.

 

[Chorx]

This seems oddly anti-consumer.