Discount when purchasing an iOS in-app purchase

Question

Im planning to provide a discount for an In App purchase when a user successfully scans a QR code using the application. I'm aware that there is no way to provide a discount for an existing item. Im planing to add another item with the discounted price. Any one has prior experience with an approach like this ?

Thank you in advance

Answer 1

There is no way to do this directly - give a discount on a single IAP. In some of my apps I have free ad-ons that just have to be downloaded, and I have them in the same area as the in app purchases to get the user to go to that area. But you should read section 11 of the App Store Review Guidelines.

11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected

The only other way would be to sell coins in the app and to give coins away when they scan the QR code. Then use the coins to unlock or buy features. This approach is being used on a lot of apps. It's a work around although it's possible that you could get rejected for it.

UPDATE:

Here one possible way to do it. I think this is your best shot at what will work inside of the app guidelines. But it's tricky from that standpoint. By the intent of the rule it might be not ok but it might squeak by.

Create two new product ids for two new IAPs inside of iTunes connect. Call one of them com.whatever.appname.widget, call the other one com.whatever.appname.widgetDiscounted. widget1 and widget2 might be better. You don't want to advertise to the review team that you're doing it. Price the one at 1.99 and the other at .99, or the one at .99 and the other one free.

In your software, when they tap to purchase the widget - if they've scanned the QR code already - have them purchase widget2, if not, have them purchase widget1. But deliver virtually the same functionality with either one.

There is nothing in the rules that say that you can't have two different IAP product id's that provide the same functionality. In fact I think this is done a lot. You just have to make sure you don't show one after they've already bought another one that delivers the same feature. Like a buy a, b, or c as 3 different ones.. and a buy all as a 4th. When they've purchased the 4th you wouldn't allow them to purchase 1,2,3. Or if they purchase one of the first 3 you wouldn't show the 4th.

If you were to get rejected for this method, your argument would be that the feature is only being unlocked via the app store and therefore you're abiding my 11.1, but just that the scan of the qr code is determining which IAP product id you're using to unlock it.

I know that there have been apps that have been rejected for "coupon codes" to unlock features, siting this:

11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected

Your question is about anyone with experience. I do have an app that shows "free" unlock-able items right next to paid ones. With a FREE tag or a BUY tag. The free ones have downloadable content as do the paid ones. I've never had any issues with this and have even been featured on the app store. However that isn't a guarantee that your implementation won't get flagged.