3.1.5. Are we goods outside or inside of the App?

Question

We are developing an app for App Store and Play Store, which contains tours/quests people use to explore cities. Can we apply for "Goods and Services Outside of the App" and hence avoid using IAP?

Arguments to be considered as an outside goods:

1) Those tours are made by tour guides and we don't own that content and nor do we have ownership rights. Most of the revenue goes to content creator and we only take small fee.

2) A tour under the hood might be a ticket to the national park or may contain it as a part of a tour. Also it might include discounts for a real physical products.

3) It's available on Play Store (and will be on website too in the near future), so not limited to App Store only.

App Review

1.9k

Posted by

Flyr1Q

Reply

Add a Comment

Answer 1

1) Those tours are made by tour guides and we don't own that content and nor do we have ownership rights. Most of the revenue goes to content creator and we only take small fee.

If these tours are real experiences with a real person then see the answer to number 2 below. If these tours are digital content consumed inside the app then you may be able to operate as a reader app but otherwise, IAP is required:

3.1.3(a) “Reader” Apps: Apps may allow a user to access previously purchased content or content subscriptions (specifically: magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video, access to professional databases, VoIP, cloud storage, and approved services such as classroom management apps), provided that you agree not to directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods are not designed to discourage use of in-app purchase.

2) A tour under the hood might be a ticket to the national park or may contain it as a part of a tour. Also it might include discounts for a real physical products.

You cannot use IAP for this component of value of a "tour". You must use a third party payment system for this:

3.1.5(a) Goods and Services Outside of the App: If your app enables people to purchase goods or services that will be consumed outside of the app, you must use purchase methods other than in-app purchase to collect those payments, such as Apple Pay or traditional credit card entry.

3) It's available on Play Store (and will be on website too in the near future), so not limited to App Store only.

Explore this guideline:

3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services: Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired elsewhere, including consumable items in multi-platform games, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. You must not directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods must not discourage use of in-app purchase.

Posted by

PBK

Add a Comment

Answer 2

A live tour is a service, not 'goods', not 'content'. There is no process to 'apply' or request for -not- using IAP, just the guidelines that explain what you are expected to do based on what your app is doing. It's not about what you apply for; it is about what you're permitted to do.

Your app is just another layer to someone else's business model (1). You are selling a booking service that sells someone else's actual service. Discount coupons for services/real world goods are another matter, and assumed to be an add on after the sale, not a direct sale (2).

Assuming you can get an app in the store (is the app unique (3), is it ok that the tour guides don't own the app, etc. etc.), my opinion is that you cannot use IAP, and must use outside billing methods, if that is your question.

Reference the ASRGs section 3. Business

Posted by

KMT

Add a Comment

Answer 3

1) Those tours are made by tour guides and we don't own that content and nor do we have ownership rights. Most of the revenue goes to content creator and we only take small fee.

If these tours are real experiences with a real person then see the answer to number 2 below. If these tours are digital content consumed inside the app then you may be able to operate as a reader app but otherwise, IAP is required:

3.1.3(a) “Reader” Apps: Apps may allow a user to access previously purchased content or content subscriptions (specifically: magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video, access to professional databases, VoIP, cloud storage, and approved services such as classroom management apps), provided that you agree not to directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods are not designed to discourage use of in-app purchase.

2) A tour under the hood might be a ticket to the national park or may contain it as a part of a tour. Also it might include discounts for a real physical products.

You cannot use IAP for this component of value of a "tour". You must use a third party payment system for this:

3.1.5(a) Goods and Services Outside of the App: If your app enables people to purchase goods or services that will be consumed outside of the app, you must use purchase methods other than in-app purchase to collect those payments, such as Apple Pay or traditional credit card entry.

3) It's available on Play Store (and will be on website too in the near future), so not limited to App Store only.

Explore this guideline:

3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services: Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired elsewhere, including consumable items in multi-platform games, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. You must not directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase, and your general communications about other purchasing methods must not discourage use of in-app purchase.

Posted by

PBK

Add a Comment

3.1.5. Are we goods outside or inside of the App?

Accepted Reply

Replies