App Store 3.1.2 rejection: Subscriptions

A subscription rejection can concern the offer itself, how plans interact, or what the paywall tells people. Read the letter after 3.1.2 in Apple’s message before changing the purchase screen. We’d check the subscription’s value and behavior alongside its wording.

3.1.2(a): ongoing value and access

Auto-renewable subscriptions need ongoing value, a period of at least 7 days, and availability across the user’s devices where the app is offered. People should receive what they paid for without unrelated tasks such as posting on social media or uploading contacts.

When moving an existing app to subscriptions, preserve the primary functionality earlier customers already purchased. Test old entitlements explicitly. Subscriptions can include consumable credits, but the offer must accurately describe what continues over time. Streaming-game and cellular-carrier bundles have additional conditions in the official clause; carrier arrangements require Apple’s prior approval.

3.1.2(b): changing plans

Set up upgrades and downgrades so people don’t accidentally subscribe to multiple versions of the same service. Test switching plans from both a new subscription and an existing paid account. Confirm the resulting entitlement and billing behavior.

3.1.2(c): explaining the offer

Before purchase, explain what the subscription includes and what it costs, along with the required terms. A terms link doesn’t fix a paywall that makes an annual charge look like a monthly payment. Use the checks below to compare the screen with the actual store product.

You’ve added the terms link, but Apple still rejects the paywall. Check the whole offer the user sees before buying. A working link won’t fix a screen that makes an annual bill look like a monthly charge.

Apple’s subscription guidance covers the subscription’s value, duration, pricing, and required terms and privacy links. Read the specific 3.1.2 subclause in your message; a presentation problem and a subscription that doesn’t provide ongoing value need different changes.

Compare the screen with the actual product

Open the submitted build using an account eligible for the offer, then compare its purchase screen with the product in App Store Connect. Check the product name, included access, billing period, localized price, introductory offer, and renewal terms.

For illustration, imagine an annual subscription configured at $59.99 with a 7-day free trial for eligible users. These are example values, not a recommended price or an Apple-approved layout:

Part of the screen	Example and reason
What you’re buying	”Annual access to the lesson library” names the content
Introductory offer	”7 days free, then $59.99 per year” connects the trial to the bill
Recurring payment	”Renews annually until canceled” explains what follows
Price comparison	”$5 per month, billed $59.99 annually” must keep the actual annual charge prominent
Links	Working Terms of Use and Privacy Policy links let people read before buying

Use the actual store product’s price and eligibility in the app. A returning subscriber may not qualify for the trial. A monthly payment plan with a longer commitment needs that commitment disclosed too; it isn’t the same offer as a cancel-anytime monthly subscription.

We’d test the paywall with both an eligible new account and an account that has already used the introductory offer. That catches a promise your own test account may never show you.

Check the links and the purchase result

Open every link from the device. Terms should be the ones that apply to your app, whether you use Apple’s standard license or your own permitted terms. Check the app’s metadata as well as the in-app links.

In the purchase test environment, buy the displayed product, verify the access it grants, and test restoring an existing purchase. Also check larger text and smaller screens: the amount charged and important conditions should remain readable.

If the product never appears, follow the first-purchase submission guide. That is a separate problem from how the paywall describes it.

Show the correction in your reply

Identify the rejected screen, the corrected wording or behavior, and the replacement build when one was needed. Include a screenshot of the real offer and steps to reach it. Then check that the app and the relevant purchase items are included in the submission before sending it back to Apple.