Apple's App price increase "automatic renewal" is subject to complaints! Developers complain new rules are 'arbitrary' or controversial

Recently, Apple updated its App Store rules, in an "Update to subscription notifications" announcement, Apple announced that it will launch a new subscription feature - allowing developers to automatically charge users when the app's subscription price increases cost.

The updated rules show, "Under certain conditions and with advance notice to users, developers may also offer auto-renewing subscription price increases without the user needing to take action or interrupt service." That is to say, even if prices increase, Apple will Your subscription will automatically renew, and users will passively accept notifications of subscription price increases. Also, the "manual opt-in option" for smaller price changes will be gone.

Once the announcement was released, it aroused the dissatisfaction of the majority of netizens and users, and they began to "spit".

Apple believes that the update to the rule is a noteworthy move that improves user convenience while renewing subscriptions. But unfortunately, users have underlying concerns about its price changes and implementation methods.

In the face of such new rules that seem to be "overlord clauses", it is no wonder that the majority of users complained and questioned. Therefore, everyone can’t help but ask: “Is such a regulation really necessary?”

It is understood that this is not the first time that app store policies have been questioned, but it is often developers who complain about the arbitrary and flawed policies. For example, a few weeks ago, developers expressed concern about Apple removing apps that haven't been updated in a while.

In Apple's view, this update to the rules is somewhat necessary because the new App Store rules can be easily renewed and maintained automatically without having to pay close attention. Users also don't have to go through this process every month. But the price is "auto-renewal", which is the main problem.

Before that, every time an iOS developer raised the price of a subscription-based product, users had to opt in before paying the increased fee. If the user does not agree, the subscription will not renew in the next billing cycle. But Apple believes that this will lead to unintentional interruptions for users, so this time the rules have been updated.

After the rule update, Apple also won't roll out a "manual opt-in" feature every time you need to renew, so even if you plan not to renew your subscription for a particular app next month, the App Store will do so to ensure Timely reminders for monthly and yearly updates are guaranteed, but these are generally ignored by most users.

Of course, Apple's new rule update this time also includes some restrictions to prevent the feature from being abused.

In the new rules, App Store developers must meet two conditions:
1. The developer cannot raise the price more than once a year;
Two: There is an exact statement in Apple's official blog post:

"The price bump doesn't exceed US$5 and 50% of the subscription price, or US$50 and 50% for an annual subscription price, and is permissible by local law".

That is, the price increase should not exceed $5 or 50% of the original subscription price in one month, and the annual price increase should not exceed the $50 threshold or 50% of the net value (where permitted by local law).

Having the above restrictions prevents bad guys from tricking users into downloading the app and charging subscription fees without providing any services.

In general, users are less likely to worry about auto-renewal with a $1 price increase, but if the price increase is larger, there will be resistance. In this regard, Apple said that in addition to telling users how to manage subscriptions, it will also notify users of price increases through push notifications, emails and messages.

Back in 2020, Adjust (via VentureBeat) estimated that the average American spends $20.78 a month on app subscriptions, while those who use streaming services like Netflix pay about $33.6 a month. With the recent increase in the prices of services such as Netflix, the update of Apple's App Store rules is bound to make many users feel "heartbroken", what do you think?

Reference link: https://fossbytes.com/apple-will-auto-renew-subscriptions/