For the iphone / ipad app store, does apple allow users the ability to make in app hardware purchases? Let's say you have an entertaining app but it requires additional hardware for its full capability. Can that hardware be purchased in app? Are there any apps in which this is the case?
IAP can only be used for digital content that is consumed inside the app, not for any real world goods.
Thanks for this prompt reply. That answers my question. Just curious though: a user can make real world hardware purchases with the amazon ios app. Does apple get 30% of those purchases? Isn't this in a sense an in app purchase? What am I missing?
You're missing the info I've already outlined.
But let's go over it so you hopefully understand......
Amazon doesn't use IAP
Apple doesn't get part of what you spend there. Just because you're holding your phone, doesn't mean IAP is being used. It's not.
Apple doesn't allow use of IAP for real world goods because.......those goods are unknown to Apple and Apple can't vouch for their quality, usefulness, fitment, etc. If Apple took a %, they would be on the hook for all of those.
If you have an issue with a purchase that involves Amazon, you don't look to Apple to make things right do you?
No....because Apple's IAP wasn't involved.
Please confirm you understand now, thanks. And re-read the guidelines link to be sure 🙂
Ken
Ken, I appreciate your patience in clarifying this. Unfortunately, I cannot access the 'App Store Review Guidelines for iOS Apps' link because I haven't yet paid the $99 membership fee for IOS developers. Thus my lack of understanding. I would like to emphasize this is an important question for us: we're thinking of developing and IOS app and the app pretty much requires a piece of additional hardware for the full experience. Is there a way to do this and not run afoul of the app guidelines? I apologize for not formulating my question better earlier...
In app hardware purchase?
