IAP Availability Delay After Release

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review
wildworks_colter OP
Created Jun ’16
Replies 16
Boosts 0
Views 8.6k
Participants 14

Whenever we release a new version of our app, the in-app purchases are unavailable for several hours. Even when we wait 24+ hours after approval to release the app, the IAPs don't become available for several hours. We have seen this every time we've released a new version of the app. It doesn't matter if we don't add new IAPs from one version to the next.


Here are some links I've found where others mention the same problem. They're all 5+ years old, yet still relevant:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5753162/in-app-purchase-does-not-work-when-live

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13574037/iap-fails-after-release-but-no-in-development-stage

http://crazyviraj.blogspot.com/2011/08/dont-let-apples-latency-mess-with-your.html


We know you can query Apple's servers to see which IAPs are available and only display those that are. We do this. Our app ends up saying "No in-app purchases currently available. Please try again later." but that's an extremely poor user experience. Users are excited to see new features they want to buy, go to buy them but are prevented from doing so. Both Apple and our company are losing money because of this.


Is there a magic number for how long one is supposed to wait after approval to release? Does it matter? Do IAPs only begin propagation once the app has been released (not approved)? Any other strategies for dealing with this problem?


Thanks so much!

Colter

Replies  16
Boosts  0
Views  8.6k
Participants  14
wildworks_colter OP
Dec ’16

Anybody?

0
KMT OP
Dec ’16

Given the app store is a black box, you seem to have covered what the rest of us know.


Timing across the backend seems to always hinge on length of queue, where you are in that queue, how busy the servers are otherwise, etc. Shouldn't take more than 1 day, usually.

0
JohnMatrix OP
Dec ’16

Experiencing this right now! This is annoying.

0
PBK OP
Dec ’16

They usually appear 24 hours after the binary gets approved.

0
soarables OP
Nov ’17

Its super frustrating. I am shocked more people don't write about this. We have over 100k members on our app and it looks like crap everytime we upload a new IAP. Would love to hear more feedback about this.

0
Jeff_LittleLea OP
Jun ’18

We have the same problem. Now we're trying to keep the fact that our app is on the App Store a secret while we wait for our IAPs to propogate.

0
sarahd OP
Jul ’18

Has anyone tried setting the manually release this version, getting the app version and IAPs approved. Then waiting 24 hours to manually release the version?

0
maail OP
Nov ’18

I think we are having the same issue.


Is there anyway I can verify this is an issue on my end, or IAPs slow propagation?


It's running perfectly from Xcode on devices.

0
DesertNomad OP
Jul ’20
Same problem here.

Approved for Developer Release: Jul 29, 2020 at 2:50 PM

Ready For Sale: Jul 30, 2020 at 6:15 AM

It is now the 31st at 11:30am and the IAPs are still not available.

0
DesertNomad OP
Aug ’20
What seems to work is either editing the description of the IAP (edit > save > revert > save), or doing the same thing with the Cleared for Sale checkbox. After making these changes, the IAPs showed up within 8 hours. The 5 IAPs that I left untouched are still not available 48 hours after the app was released. I just did a similar edit to these, so hopefully within 8 hours, they show up too.
0
Playbosh OP
Aug ’20
Same Problem here. Now I try the methode to edit the IAP to get faster. I will notice you how long it will take.
0
evgenii.kanivets@gmail.com OP
Aug ’20
60 hours on App Store and finally my In-App Purchases are there. Terrible experience!
0
Playbosh OP
Aug ’20
It worked for me with edit the description to me after 8 hours so it took totaly 30 hours to me to get work.
0
Boopalan123 OP
Aug ’20
Hi @playbosh,
I am also facing the same issue.
I have launched the app last week. In app purchase is working fine in testflight.
Live app alone its not working.
So please let me know from where you have edited the description.
It would be helpful for me too.
If possible, please share the screenshot with needful guidelines to edit the description.
0
Kipto OP
Oct ’20
It has been 72 hours my app approval. Till now IAP is not activated. Worst service. Terrible experience with paid developer account.
0
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