I am working on an enterprise app which allows users to perform CRUD operations on data
under their profiles, sync it with a backend, share it with other users and view it across multiple platforms.
The app works on 3 platforms
a) as a webapp in browser
b) as a native iOS app on iPad
c) as a native android app on android tablets
Now we want to give the app for free for a trial period of 3 months after which we want to
charge our users a monthly subscription fee if they want to continue syncing their data
with backend. If not, they can use the app as a native app which doesn't have a backend
and they won't be able to share their data across platforms and with other users but will
be able to use the app as a native app with no backend.
For the monthly subscription fee, we wanted to integrate Paypal payments into our ipad
app.
There are 2 gray areas which is causing us confusion
a) Apple might reject the app due to paypal integration as it favours in-app purchases/itunes.
b) Apple states that users can be charged only for "real world service". Does our kind of service qualify?
We prefer getting some definitive information rather than implementing paypal payments and
getting rejected by apple which will set us back by 14 days. Any help would be much appreciated.
I don't think you'll get "definite" information here, since stackoverflow does not have internal information on Apple's strategies. You have to try and find out. I know Apps with monthly subscriptions that use in-app purchases (like Trillian).
If you want to make sure it won't get rejected, exclude the payment process from the app. You are using accounts and some accounts get paid "premium" functionality. Just let the users pay through your website or redirect them to your website if they want to buy from iPad. My guess would be that Apple will otherwise want you to use in-app purchases for the subscription.
About the "real world service", that should be no problem.
Related
We're building mobile app using react-native.
Our app includes monthly/yearly subscriptions, so I was wondering for IOS app, is it a must to you in-app purchases? or I can use something like Stripe for that.
The apple docs are kind of non transparent about that topic, as I understand if I have one time payments than it's allowed to use whatever I choose, but for subscription models am I forced to use in-app purchases?
Have not tried any solutions yet, because don't want to completely overrite the code if in-app purchase is a must.
I want to write an app for BigCommerce.
On the BigCommerce developer website, it says
"Before you begin, you’ll need a sandbox store. BigCommerce offers app developers free sandbox stores through its Technology Partner Program. To get your sandbox store, apply to become a BigCommerce Technology Partner. To be approved as a partner, you will need:
A website.
The ability to support users of your app."
I have written code to modify themes using trial stores in the past without being a partner. (That is not what I am trying to do here, I did that in the past. I am trying to write an app, ANY app. I made the statement about modifying themes with a trial store to emphasize the fact that I know that I can do that and I am assuming that the sandbox store has other capabilities like the ability to access the control panel code.) As far as I can see, an app will need to integrate with the control panel code that I cannot see from just having a store. So, I am assuming that the sandbox store issued when approved as a partner will have this capability.
I sent an email to BigCommerce asking about the approval requirements and their reply was this.
“you must prove that you are an application developer. This consists of a website where you showcase the functionality and current companies that are possibly using your app.
If you have issue with the requirement to be approved as a partner you will need to speak with the team that does the approvals. Partnersupport#bigcommerce.com”
This reply came from appstore#bigcommerce.com. Why wasn't my email forwarded to Partnersupport#bigcommerce.com to begin with so I could get a more comprehensive answer? I did forward it to them and I am still waiting for an answer.
I am confused about this requirement.
I want to write a BigCommerce app. Are they saying that I cannot write a BigCommerce app unless I have written a BigCommerce app before? Are they saying that I have to have written other apps in general? If I write a great app, why would it matter if it is my first?
After I write the app, I can set up a webpage for it and submit it for approval.
How can I "showcase the functionality and current companies that are possibly using your(my) app" when it is an app specifically written for BigCommerce?
I cannot write the app unless I understand how to integrate it with BigCommerce.
As far as I can see, I cannot understand how to integrate it with BigCommerce unless I am a partner.
Am I missing something here?
Is there some other way to approach this?
Sr Marketplace Mgr for BigCommerce here. I think there are a few items of clarification I can offer:
You do not have to have an existing BigCommerce app to be approved for a partnership. You do however need some evidence of your existing work. If you don't have a portfolio, website, or other examples of your development work, it's difficult for our Partners team to determine if you're a qualified developer.
Partner apps will not have access to modify the BC control panel or core code. Apps must use our public APIs to work with a BC user's data or settings. Any settings that are in the CP but not in our APIs can't be modified directly via an app.
Any storefront changes - such as an edit to a BC theme to display weight in two different units - would have to be done using HTML/CSS/JS in the theme itself. We don't have an API for programmatically changing a storefront theme at this time.
If any of your questions for BigCommerce involve your app or app development, you'll need to direct them to my team at appstore#bigcommerce.com. Directing questions regarding your app to partnersupport#bigcommerce.com will be forwarded to my team. That channel is primarily for questions around the Partners program in general, and won't be able to provide detailed support on the app developer program.
Hopefully this clears up some of your confusion, please reach out to me at appstore#bigcommerce.com and I'll be happy to respond myself if you need more info.
Cheers - John
I designed an app and want to sell it on Google Play but have some doubts about it and I hope you can help me:
1) Is it possible to limit the quantity of downloads of my app from Google play (i.e: 2.000 downloads)?
2) Is it possible to make a configuration on Google play Developers Console, to offer an annual renewable licence for the customers who buy my app? If so, can you please tell me how to do it?
Thanks in advance.
1) Is it possible to limit the quantity of downloads of my app from Google play (i.e: 2.000 downloads)?
I don't think this is possible, checked with the Play Developer Console and there's no setting there about it. Checked with the Play Developer API and it doesn't list on any calls there any "total number of downloads".
2) Is it possible to make a configuration on Google play Developers Console, to offer an annual renewable licence for the customers who buy my app? If so, can you please tell me how to do it?
In-App Billing looks like what you're looking for, a yearly subscription (or how frequent you want it) set for the application usage would be possible.
as for questions 1, im pretty sure this isnt a current feature. as for question 2, you could create a script in the apk that disables everything in the app when a certain in-app purchase runs out until its renewed.
I'm making a utility application for a photographer. He is going to (obviously) be taking pictures, but wants to charge people at an event for a handful of digital images emailed or shared on social media. In this situation i would have to use Paypal or Square SDKs and not in app purchasing because he is going to compose the transaction and not the customer buying the pictures. Sort of like a mini POS system. He can't pay himself with another's credentials - so it would have to be a 3rd party solution. right? Is this against Apple's guidelines?
Am I over thinking this?
If the intent is to support in-person / face to face (swipe) credit card or keyed in credit card payments, check out the PayPal Here SDKs for iOS and Android which are now available on the PayPal Developer site:
https://developer.paypal.com/webapps/developer/docs/integration/mobile/pph-sdk-overview/
There is also a version for Windows 8.1+ in Beta, available upon request. You can email DL-PayPal-Here-SDK#ebay.com for help with any of these.
I have a Windows Store app for a newspaper in the Windows Store. Each issue (one per work day) can be bought using in-app purchases. In Windows Store, it looks like i can define only 100 in app purchases. In my case, that is about 4 months of daily issues.
Is 100 really the limit? Has anyone found a way to add more?
I cannot find a way to add more in-app purchases to the app. The milit of 100 would be a really stupid constraint and I would need to remove to ability to buy old issues in order to add new issues.
Windows 8 doesn't support subscription-based purchases but it does support time-limited purchases.
One option is to let the user purchase "credits" that can be applied toward an issue. Similar to how Audible lets you purchase audiobooks with credits.
Here's the thing though. Newspapers make money off advertisements. The purchase price isn't for the content, it's for the materials that it costs to deliver the paper. A digital paper costs nothing to deliver so why are you charging for it?
The store does not support subscriptions. However you can just use a third party provider for this.
As mentioned in the 'Flexible business Model'
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/hh852650.aspx
The Windows Store provides you with the freedom to choose the business
model that’s right for your apps. The Store provides full platform
support for free apps, trials (both time-based and feature-based), and
paid apps, as well as in-app purchases. You’re free to manage customer
transactions directly using your own or third-party services for
in-app purchases and subscriptions, or use the services provided by
the Windows Store. For apps that are supported by ads, you’re free to
choose the ad platform that best meets your goals.
Paypal is accessible via this api:
http://paypal.github.com/Windows8SDK/
or directly via a form post
How to Form POST to Paypal from WinJS iframe Windows 8 App?