Accept Payment on iOS Apps

Accept payment on ios apps?

It apparently depends on the what is being sold. The definitive answer can only be gotten from your lawyer's reading of the Apple agreement, of course, but I can speak from a little experience.

Apple themselves say that: if a product is sold in-app, it must use Apple's IAP (which gives Apple their 30% cut), and not be offered for less through other channels. However, there is an extensive list of things that are not eligible for purchase with IAP at all. Chief among these are: physical products; and services performed outside the application.

I have worked on two apps, both free, that are clients for fee-based web services (continuing education classes in one case, an employee scheduling service in the other). Neither used IAP, just linked to a purchasing web page. Both were accepted by Apple without comment. It seems that since the products were (arguably) not eligible for IAP, using an alternative purchase method was permitted. I'm sure it helps that Apple itself does not compete with either of these services.

Bear in mind Apple has also rejected apps that are just "wrappers" for web sites and offer no real app functionality; or for any of a long list of sillier reasons. (e.g.: I had one app rejected for using the word "Sample" in the name; but a change to "Free", with identical functionality, made it OK.) So consult a lawyer before taking any risk predicated on the developer agreement.

[edited to add:]

For dev program members, the relevant legalese is to be found here (login required), "iOS Developer Program License Agreement", attachment 2 (about 2/3 through the document.) A few relevant phrases from the Jun 12 2012 version, emphases mine:

You may not use the In-App Purchase API to offer goods or services to be used outside of Your Application.

You may not enable end-users to purchase Currency of any kind through the In-App Purchase API, including but not limited to any Currency for exchange, gifting, redemption,
transfer, trading or use in purchasing or obtaining anything within or outside of Your Application.

Rentals of content, services or functionality through the In-App Purchase API are not allowed

You may not use the In-App Purchase API to send any software updates to Your Application or otherwise add any additional executable code to Your Application. (not that this is even physically possible. --R.)

[except] as permitted under Section 3.3.23 (In-App Purchase API), an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store or VPP/B2B Program Site.

By my reading, this means that anything besides unlocking functionality within an app is fair game for an alternative purchase mechanism, and forbidden categories of items require such. But ask a real lawyer.

[edited to add, much later:]

After a fun update fiasco with one of the above mentioned apps, these anecdotes are not entirely true anymore. Apple booted one of them because of a tenuous link to a signup web page for some paid services. So be careful, and be prepared for Apple to yank things arbitrarily if you wander anywhere close to the line.

iOS enterprise app store, include a way to accept credit card payments

Depending on what users are purchasing*, you should be just fine accepting payments in your app. Instead of trying to incorporate some type of payment library into the app I would recommend using a payment API that offloads the work. Take a look at http://stripe.com/ for an example of an excellent payment system designed for ease of integration. Their API reference even mentions integration with iPhone apps.

*If you are trying to sell features or services of the app itself you will almost definitely be running afoul of Apple's guidelines, but based on the fact that you said "products" I am assuming this is not the case. In fact, while you must use the in-app purchase system for "content, functionality, or services in an app" you are specifically forbidden from using it for "physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application" (item 11.3 of Apple's App Store Review Guidelines).

Did apple allow Third Party Payment integration throughout the world

for digital content subscription ,you need to have in app purchase.

Accept credit card payment in iPhone app

May be you can donate through PayPal API but I am not sure whether Apple will approve it.

PayPal API for iOS:

https://www.x.com/community/ppx/xspaces/mobile/mep

Refer to this link before you start:

PayPal API for iOS - allowed?

I think there is no other option. UIWebView can open a site in your application which accepts credit card payments but I am not sure how good and appealing it would be to a user.

Hope this helps you

EDIT:

If you use anything apart from PayPal and In App Purchase, then I fear that your app will be rejected by Apple.

---

Related Topics