App Review Rejected - 3.1.1 In-App Purchase

Question

DrCow OP

Created Jan ’24

Replies 2

Boosts 0

Participants 3

We are trying to distribute an app for our digital ministry. It is a religious Bible app.

We offer our app 100% free of charge, however, we do accept voluntary donations. These donations do not result in any sort of in-app content incentives for the user, they strictly go to supporting our ministry.

However, every time we explain this to the App Review Team, this is their response:

Tips or donations may be optional, if they are connected to or associated with receiving digital content, they must use in-app purchase in accordance with guideline 3.1.1 To resolve this issue, please revise your app to use in-app purchase to pay for this type of transaction or remove these transactions from your app.

We am stuck, because we do not know what to do. We want to keep the donation in the app, however, using In-App purchases tarnishes the image of 100% free.

Boost

Answer 1

MobileTen OP

Jan ’24

You have the wrong business, or might I say, faith model. In-app purchases are used to deliver digital goods or services according to the rejection guidelines quoted in the notice. If you need tips or donations, you're better off running a website to solicit such funds, and your marketing strategy will need to be adjusted. An app of this type doesn't fit the In-App-Purchasing model.

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Answer 2

Developer Tools Engineer OP

Apple

Jan ’24

Generally, apps must use in-app purchase for donations, including those which are merely to tip the developers:

3.1.1 In-App Purchase:

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, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency wallets, 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, except as set forth in 3.1.3(a).

Apps may use in-app purchase currencies to enable customers to “tip” the developer or digital content providers in the app.

However, there is an exception for certain non-profit organizations:

3.2 Other Business Model Issues

3.2.1 Acceptable

(vi) Approved nonprofits may fundraise directly within their own apps or third-party apps, provided those fundraising campaigns adhere to all App Review Guidelines and offer Apple Pay support. These apps must disclose how the funds will be used, abide by all required local and federal laws, and ensure appropriate tax receipts are available to donors. Additional information shall be provided to App Review upon request. Nonprofit platforms that connect donors to other nonprofits must ensure that every nonprofit listed in the app has also gone through the nonprofit approval process. Learn more about becoming an approved nonprofit.

(vii) Apps may enable individual users to give a monetary gift to another individual without using in-app purchase, provided that (a) the gift is a completely optional choice by the giver, and (b) 100% of the funds go to the receiver of the gift. However, a gift that is connected to or associated at any point in time with receiving digital content or services must use in-app purchase.

If your organization is a not-for-profit organization, you can register with Apple as a charity and receive approval to accept donations through Apple Pay.

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