Apple App Store subscription notification update comes to China

Apple recently launched a new subscription price adjustment action in China, which is related to both developers and users. In China, when developers increase the price of automatic renewal subscriptions, they can be subject to certain restrictions. + Under the premise of communicating with the user in advance, the previous subscription will be automatically renewed. In fact, the change of automatic subscription renewal has been launched in some other countries and regions outside China, and domestic developers and users can be said to be able to proceed after verification.

Improvements to the App Subscription Model

The app subscription system is a new business model created by Apple. Apple extends the habit of a subscription system to the digital age and combines it with its own App Store ecosystem. For developers, there is no need to worry about the loss of users and revenue, and for users, it also saves the need to pay monthly fees and services The trouble of sudden interruption. After the emergence of this new business model at the App level, Apple officials have also made several improvements. The May subscription notification update is a new improvement.

In May, Apple began to implement a new practice in most of the App Stores abroad, that is, under the premise of fully informing users, the renewal price increase of developers under certain restrictions can be done without the need for users to perform additional operations. Now, this improvement is also coming to China. Apple mentions: This feature has been rolled out in other countries or regions. It is hoped that through this change, App Store users in China can better enjoy subscription services and be free from service interruptions in special circumstances.

Multiple Requirements for Renewal Price Increase

Perhaps at first glance, the new rules may leave loopholes for bad developers. What if a developer raises the price maliciously? Will users suffer? The actual App Store staff has taken these into account and made multiple restrictions on the rules. First, the subscription price increase under the new model will be notified to users through emails, push notifications and in-app messages to ensure users’ right to know;

Second, there are stricter restrictions on this feature, including, 1) no more than one price increase per year, 2) no more than a $5 increase in subscription price / 50% of the previous subscription fee, 3) no more than $50 increase in annual subscription price / Previously, subscriptions were charged at 50%.

Among them, the two situations 2) and 3) have actually put a double limit (amount or proportion) on the price increase itself. And Sina Digital learned that there is also a double insurance: even if the price increase meets the above conditions, Apple will still remind users through emails, push notifications, and in-app messages. Users will also be informed, as always, how to view, manage, or cancel their subscriptions.

For some subscribers, if the previous model is used, the price increase of the app will be stopped or it needs to be re-confirmed, which is relatively troublesome. At this time, the new regulations can indeed save them a lot of trouble; of course, for some people who are not so familiar with the App Store ecology or subscription For managed users, the new regulations are likely to incur more costs.

Therefore, as a final reminder, as a user, regularly go to the subscription management page to check the existing subscription status, which can not only form a good consumption habit, but also reduce the trouble of appealing for refunds later.