Developers May Soon Be Able to Automatically Charge Apple Users for Subscription Price Increases
Apple appears to be testing a new feature that would allow developers to automatically charge users when a subscription price goes up, according to TechCrunch.
Right now, Apple asks customers to explicitly agree to subscription pricing increases when the cost of a subscription goes up. If a customer does not tap on the presented "Agree to New Price" button, their subscription is automatically canceled. But if the new functionality that Apple is testing rolls out, customers may simply be notified of an upcoming change, rather than being given the choice to cancel. Essentially, Apple is testing an opt-out system rather than an opt-in system for subscription pricing changes.
When Disney+ recently increased its prices to $7.99 per month, some developers noticed that the Disney+ app sent out a notification that was more of an alert about a price increase rather than a clear opt-in choice. Disney+ subscribers received a notification with a large "OK" button letting them know about the change, but there was no built-in opt-out button, with the app instead providing a link to change the subscription.
Other developers noticed similar behavior for different subscriptions, and an Apple spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it is running a pilot test on a new subscription system.
"We are piloting a new commerce feature we plan to launch very soon. The pilot includes developers across various app categories, organization sizes, and regions to help test an upcoming enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users, and we'll have more details to share in the coming weeks," the spokesperson said.
If this change rolls out more widely, App Store users will need to keep a closer eye on their subscriptions, as it will be easier for a pricing increase to go under the radar without the express opt-in system that's currently in place.
Apple would not provide more details on the pilot test, and did not offer information on the apps that are currently involved or when the feature might roll out more widely to all developers.
Popular Stories
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence.
Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476
The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back.
Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product.
In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development.
Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.
Timing
Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices.
With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
