Apple is introducing a new feature that will reduce the burden on app developers when it comes to resolving subscription billing issues. Often when subscribers to an app have a failing payment method, they turn to the app developer for help. But the developer doesn’t take care of billing issues for their App Store apps, as Apple manages them. This leads to a back and forth in which the developer has to determine the problem and advise the customer on how to proceed so that they can continue using the application. Now, Apple says that a new feature will be in place to tell users within the app when their payment method fails, meaning they no longer need to pester the developer for help with this common problem.
The company announced in a blog post to its developer community that a warning will soon appear on a system-provided sheet within the app that allows customers to update their payment method associated with their Apple ID.
The sheet informs the app user that “there is a problem with your current payment method” and that they need to update it to “avoid interruptions to their subscriptions and purchases.” Users can then press the big blue “Continue” button at the bottom of the screen to proceed to update their payment method; for example, entering a new credit card expiration date after the old one expires. There is also an option to “Add Payment Method” to switch to a new card.
Image Credits: Apple
Even better, developers won’t have to make any changes on their end to support the feature, Apple says — it will roll out automatically starting this summer.
However, developers can now get familiar with the sheet in the sandbox, where they can simulate billing issues to see how the system responds. Developers will also be able to suppress prompts using messages and show in StoreKit, if they wish.
The new system complements other features Apple has built around subscriptions, including machine learning-based payment retries and a Billing Grace Period that allows customers to continue accessing their subscriptions while Apple tries to collect payment. .
The feature will be a benefit to both consumers and developers as it will simplify the process of updating your payment method and free up developer time to work on more technical issues. Of course, the launch also comes at a time when Apple is being investigated for antitrust issues over high App Store fees, which has led many in the developer community to want to handle their own payments directly, outside of the Apple platform. By adding a useful feature like this, Apple has a better chance of retaining smaller developers who want to take the hassle out of subscription management.