Apple is making improvements to the in-app subscription process for iPhone and iPad users. Currently, users must go to their Apple ID settings to manage app subscription payment failures. However, Apple has announced that this process will change. Users will be able to resolve billing issues directly within the app if a subscription renewal fails. Apple has stated that starting this summer, users will receive a prompt in the app to update their payment method if they encounter problems with auto-renewable app subscriptions due to billing issues.
When a payment failure occurs, a pop-up message will appear for users, provided by the system. This alert will ask users to update their payment method for their Apple ID. Apple has explained that this change will make it easier for customers to resolve payment issues and continue their subscriptions to content, services, and premium features.
Developers are not required to take any action to adopt this feature. From April 19, they can familiarize themselves with the pop-up message in Sandbox and test delaying or suppressing it using messages and display in StoreKit.
This feature will only be available for users with a minimum of iOS 16.4 or iPadOS 16.4. Apple believes that this change will not only simplify the process for customers but also help developers streamline the app subscription renewal process and reduce the number of lapsed subscriptions.
