SlipwaySoonon the Mac App Store
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Subscriptions

Create subscription groups and tiers, set prices, add free trials, offers and offer codes, and submit auto-renewable subscriptions for review, all in Slipway.

Subscriptions is under Services in the left sidebar once an app is open. It covers auto-renewable subscriptions. For consumables, non-consumables and non-renewing subscriptions, see In-App Purchases.

The page shows the Billing grace period card, then each subscription group with its subscriptions. Each row shows the name, Product ID, duration, level and status. Click a subscription to open its editor. It has six tabs: Details, Locales, Pricing, Availability, Offers and Review. Click ‹ All subscriptions to go back.

Groups and levels#

A group holds subscriptions that unlock the same content, such as Pro Monthly and Pro Yearly. A customer can have only one active subscription per group.

Levels rank the subscriptions in a group. Level 1 is the top tier. Moving toward level 1 is an upgrade and applies right away. Moving away from it is a downgrade and applies at the next renewal.

Create a group#

  1. Click New Group….
  2. Enter a Reference name, such as Pro. Only you see it. Click Create.
  3. Click Localizations next to the group's name, then Add locale. Enter the Display name customers see, up to 30 characters. Custom app name is optional. Click Save for that locale.

Use Rename next to the group's name to change its reference name. Delete group works only when the group is empty.

Create a subscription#

  1. Click New Subscription…. It's available once you have a group.
  2. Pick the Group, and enter a Reference name such as Pro Monthly.
  3. Enter a Product ID, for example com.example.app.pro.monthly. Use letters, digits, dots and underscores. You can't change it later.
  4. Choose the Duration: 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year.
  5. Set the Group level.
  6. Decide on Family Sharing. Once it's on, it stays on.
  7. Optionally add a Review note, then click Create.

Repeat for each tier. You can change the reference name, duration, level and Family Sharing later on the Details tab.

Get it ready for review#

Select the subscription. The inspector on the right shows a Before submission checklist: Localization, Availability, Price and Review screenshot. When nothing is missing, it says "Everything Apple needs is in place."

Work through the tabs in this order:

  1. Locales. Click Add locale. Enter the Display name (up to 30 characters) and Description (up to 45) customers see on the App Store and in the purchase sheet. Click Save for that locale. Submission needs at least one.
  2. Availability. Pick the territories where the subscription is sold. Leave Available in new territories on to include storefronts Apple adds later. Click Save availability. Saving replaces the whole territory list.
  3. Pricing. See Set prices. Availability must be saved first.
  4. Review. Under App Review screenshot, drop or choose a PNG or JPG of the purchase screen. Only App Review sees it. The file has to be one of the App Store screenshot sizes your app supports (for a Mac app: 1280 × 800, 1440 × 900, 2560 × 1600 or 2880 × 1800). Slipway waits for Apple to inspect the file and shows Apple's message if it is rejected.

Set prices#

  1. Save the subscription's availability first. Until you do, the Pricing tab says "Set availability first" and Save price stays disabled.
  2. On the Pricing tab, under Set price, choose a territory and pick a price point. Each point shows what you receive after Apple's commission.
  3. Decide on Keep current subscribers on their price. When it's on, existing subscribers keep paying what they pay now. When it's off, they move to the new price, and Apple notifies them first.
  4. To change the price on a future date, turn on Start on a later date and pick the date.
  5. Click Save price.

You pick the price in one territory, and Apple equalizes the other territories from it. Current prices lists every territory, with a filter. A price kept for existing subscribers is marked Preserved. A future price is marked Scheduled and has a Remove link. If you remove it, the current price stays in effect.

Add a free trial#

A free trial is an introductory offer for new subscribers.

  1. Open the Offers tab and click New introductory offer.
  2. Set Mode to Free trial and pick a Duration, such as 1 week. The line below the terms reads, for example, "Free for 1 week, then full price."
  3. Leave Territory on All territories. Slipway creates one offer in each territory the subscription is available in.
  4. Optionally set Starts and Ends dates. Click Create.

For a paid introductory offer, choose Pay as you go or Pay up front, set the number of Periods, pick one territory and an Offer price. A paid offer applies in that one territory, so create one for each territory you need.

Promotional offers#

Your app shows promotional offers to current and past subscribers through StoreKit.

  1. On the Offers tab, click New promotional offer.
  2. Enter a Reference name and an Offer identifier. Your app passes the identifier to StoreKit.
  3. Pick the Duration, Mode and Periods. For a paid mode, pick the Offer price.
  4. Click Create.

A free promotional offer applies in every territory the subscription is available in. A paid one applies in the territory of its price.

Offer codes#

Offer codes let customers redeem a discount in the App Store or through a link.

  1. On the Offers tab, click New offer code.
  2. Enter a Reference name.
  3. Under Who can redeem, tick New customers, Existing subscribers, Lapsed subscribers, or any mix.
  4. Under With an introductory offer, choose Stack with it or Replace it.
  5. Pick the Duration, Mode and Periods. For a paid mode, pick the Offer price.
  6. Click Create.

Then add codes to it from the list:

  • Add custom code… creates one code you choose, such as SPRING27. Use letters and digits only. Set a Redemption limit and, optionally, an Expires date. Customers can redeem it until the limit or the date is reached.
  • Generate one-time codes… creates a batch of single-use codes. Set the Number of codes and an Expires date, then click Generate. Apple generates the codes in the background. Slipway waits for them and offers to save them as a CSV file.

If Apple is still generating the codes after about 20 seconds, Slipway tells you and closes the sheet. Slipway can't download a batch later yet, so get that CSV from the offer code's page in App Store Connect.

To stop an offer code, click Deactivate. Its codes stop working for customers who haven't redeemed them yet.

Win-back offers#

Win-back offers target people whose subscription has lapsed. Apple can also show them on the App Store.

  1. On the Offers tab, click New win-back offer.
  2. Enter a Reference name and an Offer identifier.
  3. Pick the Duration, Mode and Periods.
  4. Set who is eligible: Paid for at least, Lapsed at least and Lapsed at most, in months, and Wait between offers.
  5. Choose Promotion: Don't promote, or Promote with auto-generated assets. Set Priority to Normal or High.
  6. Pick the Starts date and, optionally, an Ends date. For a paid mode, pick the Offer price.
  7. Click Create.

To change an offer, click Edit next to it. After creation, only eligibility, dates, priority and promotion can change.

Not yet verified — Promotional offers, win-back offers, the billing grace period and promotional images use API calls Slipway builds from Apple's published API shape but hasn't yet tested against the live API. Slipway reloads after each change, so what you see is what Apple stored.

Billing grace period#

The Billing grace period card at the top of the page applies to every subscription in the app.

  1. Turn on Give subscribers time to fix billing problems. Subscribers keep access while Apple retries a failed renewal payment.
  2. Choose the Duration: 3, 16 or 28 days.
  3. Under Applies to, choose All renewals or Paid-to-paid renewals only.
  4. Optionally turn on Also use in the sandbox for testing. Click Save.

Submit for review#

  1. On the Review tab, add the App Review screenshot if you haven't yet.
  2. Optionally write a Review note: how to reach the purchase screen, or test account details. Only App Review sees it. Click Save note.
  3. Optionally add a Promotional image: 1024 × 1024 artwork Apple shows when you promote the subscription on the App Store. To promote it, see Promote it on the App Store.
  4. Under Submit for review, click Submit for Review… and confirm. The same button is in the inspector.

App Review checks the subscription on its own, without an app version. The app's first subscription must go in together with an app version: finish its checklist so it reads Ready to Submit, then submit the version from the Submit tab. Every subscription that is Ready to Submit goes along, and the confirmation sheet lists them.

Delete a subscription or group#

  • Subscription. Select it and click Delete subscription… in the inspector, then confirm. Apple only allows this before its first submission. After that, the button is disabled. To retire it, remove it from sale in App Store Connect.
  • Group. Click Delete group next to the group's name. Delete its subscriptions first.

Rules Apple enforces#

  • Availability comes before the first price. Apple rejects a subscription's first price until its availability is saved.
  • Product IDs are permanent. You can't change a product ID, and you can't reuse it, even after you delete the subscription.
  • You can only delete a subscription before its first submission.
  • A group must be empty to delete it.
  • Offer codes can only be deactivated. You can't edit or delete an offer code after you create it.
  • Family Sharing can't be turned off. Once it's on for a subscription, it stays on.
  • The first subscription goes with an app version. The app's first subscription must be submitted together with an app version. Later ones can go on their own.
  • One-time codes take a while. Apple generates one-time code values in the background, so a new batch isn't ready right away.
  • One territory sets the price. You price a subscription in one territory, and Apple equalizes the other territories from it.

Tips#

  • Run through the checklist before you submit a version that adds a new subscription. A subscription that's missing metadata can't be submitted.
  • Subscriber counts and churn aren't in Slipway. Sales & Analytics reads only the weekly Sales summary report, not the Subscription report.

Troubleshooting#

  • "Couldn't load this subscription." The banner shows Apple's error. Click Retry. If it keeps failing, check that your API key's role can manage in-app purchases; see Create an App Store Connect API key.
  • Save price is disabled. Save the subscription's availability first, then pick a price point.
  • Create is disabled on an offer. Save availability first. A paid offer also needs an offer price.
  • A save fails. Slipway's message includes Apple's reason. Fix the field it names and save again.
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