App Store subscription with free trial allowed? [closed]

Question

My app let the user input very specific types of data, and offer online synchronization. To use the app, you must pay a subscription (auto renewing subscription in-app purchase).

However, I would like to include a free trial. I cannot use the free trial option of in-app purchase products because this is only allowed for newsstand apps (according to WWDC 2012 session videos, session 308 "Managing Subscriptions with IAP")

Here is my idea of workaround to achieve similar functionality :

1. The user creates an account on my app
2. This account is given a short free subscription for testing the app. Subscription is managed server-side. During the trial, there is no restrictions on the app
3. When the trial is over, the user will not be able to insert new data, or sync with the server. He will be prompted to subscribe to continue using the app

I have a doubt if this is acceptable for the App Store. Any ideas?

Thanks

Answer 1

Technically that would work but two problems arise: One: if you don't use in app purchasing then the users can't buy your service from the app (its in the dev agreement) Two: if you do use in app purchasing then you trust the IOS devices to say "hey I just bought one year service so hook me up" one could hack this http://zd.net/LkY9Ra and make your server give service to illegitimate users. Will this happen? not likely but it can. Kinda sucks apple forces developers to a clearly flawed model