I'm about to release an app working with Stripe to sell credits. The credits are used to be able to post premium messages to the app, users can choose if they wanna write a basic message or a premium one.
I've read that if it's a digital content, apple will make you sell it via in-App, right?
How can I still use Stripe to do so? If I integrate stripe with a webview apple would reject my app I think..
I think, I could sell credits via website (laptop) and then let the users use those credits with the app, right? But I shouldn't tell that this option is available inside the app but, what if I just set a webview with the url of my app and if they log in, they will be able to buy credits... would it be fine?
What Android says about that? is it legal to do that?
Related
I am fully aware of Google rules regarding in app payments, but I am still not sure if my case pass these rules or it violate them, so I wanted to make sure and see if anyone have a better answer.
Basically I have a website where people register and buy a subscription for a X service, recently I built an Android app to correspond to the service of the website, my Android app shows a message to the users saying that if they want to buy premium subscription they have to go to my website, register and buy it there, the question is does it violate Google rules?
Thank you for any help.
Yes it does.
You are not allowed to hint that users can spend money somewhere else. Its also not allowed to link to external resources where the user can spend money.
Netflix is an example for this.
Netflix users can use the App with the account they created on the website.
Users that create an account from the App are forced to go through in app purchases.
Netflix App is not allowed to hint that users can get it cheaper through the Netflix website.
have the following scenario:
we have an app that users need to pay for. But we also want to sell the app bundled with a book meaning there is a code / voucher in the book that can be used to use the app for free. Unfortunately we haven't found any good way to address this scenario yet:
a) make the app a paid app and use Google / iOS Promo Codes for the books - not good, because the number of promo codes per app and quarter is limited
b) make the app itself free but require users to make an in-app purchase to access most of the content. Alternatively make it possible to enter a code to access that same content. The code comes with the book and is created and maintained by us.
negatives: a lot of effort to maintain the promo codes, handle the in-app purchases and Google / Android don't like it if content within the app is paid for outside - so we could end up being rejected.
I'm really wondering: are we the first one with this need? is there maybe already a solution to this problem we are not aware of? We do not want to rip Google / Apple of their 30% share of app sales. But there doesn't seem to be a supported solution for this.
any ideas? thanks
Thomas
Welcome to SO.
This could be done but i dont know if this is the optimal solution.
Make the app free and lock down at the sign-in, there give link to your play books.
In the app check if the user has purchased the book using
https://developers.google.com/books/docs/v1/using
So if user pays for the book and downloads it, On the next app launch give access to him to use the app.
You should be careful with Apple's in-app purchase guidelines, 3.1.1:
If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by
way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access
to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app
purchase. Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or
functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR
codes, etc. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external
links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing
mechanisms other than in-app purchase.
I think for users that purchase the book, they would need to register outside of your app (e.g. on your website). If you had some authentication system you could store a flag on the users profile if they've unlocked the book or not and give them premium access to your app upon logging in.
You can make your app free and set non-consumeable book SKU in your app.
If you want to send the promo code, you can use Google Play Console.
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2016/01/create-promo-codes-for-your-apps-and-in.html
Google only allow a small amount of promo codes per app, 500/quarter. This is because they don't want to encourage developers to sell this promo code offline. But this is still an official feature supported by Google Play. You will be totally fine as long as you're less than 500/quarter.
I am building a website for a client that is promoting an App on Kickstarter. As one of the rewards this client wants to reward sponsors with in-app purchases. I have searched Apple and posted on other forums but I can't find out if this is possible and if it is possible, how it is done.
Thanks.
You need to implement a promo-code dialog inside your app to do that, then send promo-codes to your Kickstarter users.
I don't think It's possible.
Here's the only Google documentation I could find.
You could make the app free for a short period until all backers have their copy and then raise the price but non backers will be able to download it too.
It would be possible however to use the alpha/beta functionality in the Google Play store to release the app to backers who have joined specific circles setup by you. I don't know if Google would have a problem with you using it like this.
It might be possible to distribute the app outside of the Play Store but I suspect that will become a big support problem as users struggle to get the app installed and keep it up to date.
For iOS part we haven't this functionality with Store Kit. This framework was created to securely process payments from users. You don't need to work with payments. Just deliver some product or an extra functionality to user with promo code. Implement a dialogue in your app where user can enter his code, send this code to your server, check it and give an access for user, if code was right. That's all you need. After making the product available, your app needs to make a persistent record of the "purchase" like you do with normal in-app purchases.
I have requirement like this.I have an application which needs to be published on google play store.That is a paid application.Now It's fine to publish application on play store with paid version.But my query is that,how can I allow user to purchase application directly from my website also.I.E user should be clicking on application icon and after that he/she has to purchase that application.What mechanism i have to follow for implementing such functionality for allowing user to purchase application directly from website.
If you don't want to sell your app from market create your own mechanism to sell app from your website and updates of that perticular app also you have do it from in app itself, For update flow the link
here
You need to setup an e-commerce website and if you will need so have an ssl secured website for the same. After setting this up, you need a database to track customers and after crossing this point, here comes the surprise. User will prefer play store over any other third party website because it's been that way from the birth of Android. The time and energy spent for setting up this website will not be able to reap the benefits.
Have a website and redirect the user from your website to google play store. This is what all the major free and paid app developers are doing currently.
I developed an android app, and i want to sell this app in google play,however I'm in Turkey and selling system is not supported by google in Turkey.
I want to learn the answer of this question. Does google allow when i placed a buy button which opens browsers and redirect to paypal payment web page in my app ? Does google allow this ? or Does google remove my application from google play for illegal selling method issue.If so what can i do for selling my app in google play.
Thanks for your valuable answers.
Edit 1
I find some app which uses PayPal services in their app and placed in google play's free apps category such as this app if it is not allowed then why are these apps still surfacing on the play store ?
Edit 2
I want to discuss my technique in my app.
User download the app from google play
App is about fast reading and has 12 levels
User can use level 1 for free as demo others are locked
If user want to use other level, there is a
button which opens my website page
I post the deviceId of the phone or tablet, record it to my db and redirect browser to paypal payment page, if payment successfull, paypal page redirects browser to my page to set payment done,so that i can understand which device has done payment
Then my server has an application which checks
the successfull payments and send push message to the user
device,that msg changes the application to full version , user can
start to use other levels without downloading the full version ,
And my thoughts, user can use the app from google play store just for one level,this is legal because user can use it free, I use my own servers for payment mechanism,after payment my app in user's device is turn to full version without any google play's affords.So this is legal.
Think all is legal.
In the event that it isn't, you're just using the application, so having an extra-national bank account that it flows into and transferring those funds into your Turkey-based account would be legal. That being said, you'd be paying tax twice, which isn't too great for profits, but you do what you have to eh, good luck!
Yes, it is legal. Uploading app to google and charging for it there is much easier since google does everything else for you. You just set the price and cash flows to your bank account.
But ofcourse you can also do it your way, but it would be much more complicated for you. People who'd buy your app wouldn't have their app automatically updated like if they downloaded it from google play, you'd have to manage all the refunds while google does it automatically for you, you'd probably have to send people the apk after they bought it which means your app would be easier to crack.
It has it's flaws but I'm almost 100% sure it's legal.
EDIT: Read the comments below, it isn't as legal as I thought it was :p
I have read that only 18 countries can accept PayPal Payment other than Google Wallet. But we still want to make payment via PayPal.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2651410?hl=en