Apple claimed yesterday that auto-renewal subscription apps are currently sometimes “unintentionally interrupted” when users don’t recognize the price increase notification and opt-in to the new price announced a change in App Store rules. Subscription apps can now increase the price and auto-renew without the user’s explicit consent.
Apple is trying to downplay any concerns that this could lead to exploitation. For one, there will still be notifications about the increase, “including via email, push notification, and an in-app message,” and any users who see these notifications and don’t agree to the increase can go into the app and cancel your subscription. (Mind you, considering that this change was supposedly required because users don’t see the notifications and don’t sign in, one might wonder if they’re more likely to see them and make up their minds out of.)
We can get an idea of what that notification will look like by examining what now appears to be a pilot Apple has been running for the Disney+ app: as Max Seelemann noted in March, it was users of that app notified a price increase instead of asking for their approval.
Second, the degree to which app developers can inflate the price is quite tight. You may not increase the price more than once per year (or rather, any increases in excess of this limit must go through the current explicit opt-in process), and such increases will be capped at $5 (or equivalent). in local currency) or $50 for an annual subscription and 50% of the current price. There’s no risk of an unscrupulous developer turning a $1.99 monthly renewal into $199 without you knowing.
Apple further adds that this change will only be implemented in regions where local laws allow it. For example, in Chile, users must agree to an increase in the subscription price.
It is possible to cancel a subscription at any time. Read: How to cancel a subscription on iPhone or iPad for advice on how to do this.
The big question: Does Google do it too?
no With this change, Apple stands out from its main competitor in the App Store.
If you look at the appropriate help page for Android developers read:
“If you increase the price of a subscription, you have at least seven days to notify your existing subscribers of the price change before Google Play begins notifying them directly.
“Existing subscribers have at least 30 days to review the price increase and decide whether to accept it. If they do not accept the price increase, their subscription will be automatically canceled before they would otherwise pay the higher price.”
That’s a big call. Will users prefer the nominal convenience of Apple’s new policy or Google’s tighter financial controls? It will be interesting to see how that plays out and how the two companies sell their respective visions to users. Maybe Google will follow suit.
