Spotify Subscribers No Longer Allowed to Pay Through App Store

Spotify will no longer allow customers who previously subscribed to the Spotify streaming music service through the App Store to continue to pay using Apple's platform, reports Variety. Spotify has started sending emails to subscribers who pay using an ‌App Store‌ subscription to let them know that they'll need to make changes.

General Spotify Feature
Spotify has not allowed customers to sign up for a Spotify Premium subscription through the ‌App Store‌ for the last seven years. ‌App Store‌ Spotify subscriptions were in fact only available for a two-year period between 2014 and 2016, but some longtime subscribers have continued to pay for Spotify through the ‌App Store‌ since that time.

In emails to customers, Spotify says that it is no longer accepting Apple's billing service as a payment method.

"We're contacting you because when you joined Spotify Premium you used Apple's billing service to subscribe. Unfortunately, we no longer accept that billing method as a form of payment."

At the end of the final billing period, Spotify customers who have a subscription through the ‌App Store‌ will have their accounts transitioned to the free ad-supported service. Customers will then need to resubscribe to Premium using the Spotify website.

There is no mechanism for subscribing to Spotify through the Spotify app, as Spotify has restricted signups to its website in order to avoid paying Apple's fees. "You can't upgrade to Premium in the app," reads Spotify's "Premium" section in its iOS app. "We know, it's not ideal." For customers who have been continuing to pay through the ‌App Store‌, Apple has been taking a 15 percent cut, which Spotify no longer wants to pay.

Given that Spotify has not allowed signups through the ‌App Store‌ for multiple years, this change is not likely to impact many Spotify customers.

Tag: Spotify

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Camera Modules to Enter Mass Production Next Month

Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:56 am PST by
Apple's camera module supplier for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is set to begin mass production of the components in December, according to a new report coming out of Korea. Economic newspaper Ajunews reports that LG Innotek will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly fourth-generation device. Final tests are now said to be underway, with mass production of the module following...
AirPods Crackling Feature

Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:01 am PST by
A trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds. A few months after the AirPods Pro came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases Firmware Updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday November 11, 2024 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released firmware updates for both AirPods 4 models (version number 7B20) and the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases (version number 7B21). All of these AirPods models were previously on firmware version 7B19. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in firmware versions 7B20 and 7B21, but we will update this story if we find...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Uses Quantum Dot Display Technology

Thursday November 14, 2024 4:19 pm PST by
The M4 MacBook Pro models feature quantum dot display technology, according to display analyst Ross Young. Apple used a quantum dot film instead of a red KSF phosphor film, a change that provides more vibrant, accurate color results. Young says that Apple has opted for KSF for prior MacBook Pro models because it doesn't use toxic element cadmium (typical for quantum dot) and is more...
maxresdefault

M4 Max MacBook Pro: Real-World Usage Tests

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:59 am PST by
Apple last week replaced the M3 Max MacBook Pro with the new M4 Max MacBook Pro, and we picked up one of the new high-end MacBook Pro machines to see how it compares to the prior model with both benchmarks and real-world tests. We tested an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 48GB RAM against an M3 Max MacBook Pro with similar specs. The two machines look similar, but the display on...
final cut pro magnetic mask

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

Wednesday November 13, 2024 3:02 pm PST by
Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11. Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with ...

Top Rated Comments

lkrupp Avatar
18 months ago

I do feel that it's time for Apple to reduce the rates. Yes, they need to cover credit card fees that they pay, but do they need an extra 10-25% on top of that? No. 5% would be reasonable given their transaction volume. That's how the market works, but in the case of digital goods, there are no supply constraints. The supply is virtually unlimited.
Really? You think digital goods don't have supply constraints? It’s just a couple of servers in a back room that, once turned loose, just work without expenses or management. Tell me, now much does Apple pay Akamai for the App Store bandwidth? How many Apple employees are dedicated to the operation of the App Store? I guess you also would like the government to regulate profit margins.

Oh never mind, ignorance is bliss.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
18 months ago
I'm not sure how taking choice away from customers is the right message. Isn't that the issue that they are battling... lack of choice?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
18 months ago
Not going to impact them. Spotify has a very, very strong following.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
18 months ago

So, Spotify wants to stay relevant to the Apple's App store but do not want to pay 15%.
Remember that Spotify has not accepted payments through the App Store for many years. This only affects those who paid through the store years ago and kept paying that way.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
18 months ago

developers who cry about Apple's 30% cut are being stupidly unreasonable.
Apple's refusal to allow developers from mentioning within their own app a 3rd party payment option is stupidly unreasonable. Is Apple so afraid of competition and the loss of their 15% or 30% cut?


I'm not sure how taking choice away from customers is the right message. Isn't that the issue that they are battling... lack of choice?
Lack of choice is Apple's doing.

Now Apple is being forced to give users a choice.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-appeals-court-upholds-lower-court-order-forcing-apple-allow-third-party-app-2023-04-24/

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/15/apple-third-party-payment-options-netherlands/

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/25/eu-provisionally-agrees-dma-law-apple-app-store/

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/08/09/apple-app-store-investigated-again-south-korea/
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tripsync Avatar
18 months ago
you mean you could just get people to sign up via web instead of doing IAP? who knew.

developers who cry about Apple's 30% cut are being stupidly unreasonable.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)