Can Stripe be used in place of Google IAB for multi-platform apps?

Question

I'm finding it difficult to get a concrete answer on this, either I'm finding the wrong info or not comprehending what I am finding.

Our app will be available on the Play Store and App Store, as well as being accessible via Web App. We planned on using our website for customers to sign up, subscribe, pay, etc. The app will be a free download on the mobile app stores, with the free features active, only requiring a subscription for the advanced features.

Would this scenario (using Stripe for subscriptions, without any use of Google IAB or Apple IAP) break any developer agreements as they stand?

Answer 1

You will be rejected from the app store if you do this. Guidelines:

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 include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than IAP.

If you don't want to bother integrating IAP, you can just exclude the payment stuff on the mobile client and let people do it on the web. Then, you can use your own verification mechanism to give people that have subscribed the correct content once they log into your app.

Spotify does something similar as described on their website. As far as how much of that they reveal in the app itself, you'd have to download it and see as I am not sure offhand. Your app may be rejected if it directly instructs users to go subscribe on your site.

The relevant info for the Play store is here.

Developers offering products within another category of app downloaded on Google Play must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment, except for the following cases: Payment is solely for physical products. Payment is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players).

According to this, you are not required to use In-app Billing on Android since your content will technically be available on iOS and web as well.