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Comment by dannyw | Hacker News Reader

This is not true; at least, you cannot redirect within the app. Spotify had its updates rejected when it had a flow that ended all IAPs, and redirected people to a web browser.

The kindle app offers no way to purchase for this reason.

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I can verify this from recent Apple dealings. A subscription for a single person that doesn't use in-app purchases is a no-go.

Yet and still there are dozens of apps that force subscriptions outside of the store. Why can I never find a documented case of Apple banning apps that require subscriptions outside of the App Store?

That is a separate issue from the original claim that Apple forces you to use their in app payment system for subscription fees and pay them a cut.

Neither Google or Apple do that.

I'm not sure you read the previous comments - Apple in fact forces you to use their in app payment system for subscription fees and pay them a cut, or be left with no in app payment system at all.

Didn’t they try to get Amazon to pay a fee for each item sold through their app?

Only for digital purchases.

The choice is to use the in app payment system (and pay Apple a cut) or to set up your own payment website and pay Apple nothing.

Of course, even if you set up your own payment infrastructure you are going to be paying somebody a cut.

Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Stripe et al. are going to take a cut of any transactions they process.

You have to decide if the fee they charge is worth the additional sales accepting that method of payment might bring in.

The key thing is that you can set up a separate website for payments with iOS devices, but you can't embed or link to that website within your iOS app. I've seen apps rejected because their technical support website was linked from the app and the header of that website got you to the payment website after like 10 clicks.

Amazon's Audible does that, I went bonkers trying to buy something and couldn't figure out I have to use browser.

Obviously Apple can't prohibit you from having a website on the internet. The issue is collecting payments on their platform.

But the IAP rule for Apple only applies to purely digital goods. If Tinder also sends you a condom with your profile upgrade, they don’t have to pay Apple anything. (This is why Amazon’s main app lets you buy real-world goods)

Apple's not that stupid.

There was an entire startup that helped do this.

Called what? I can't find anything in a search, and that sounds so fragile as a business model.

That’s not true. I have used plenty of apps that have subscriptions but don’t use in app subscriptions including Sling, DirecTVNow, Linux Academy and Spotify.

always thought that was weird that I couldn't shop on the iphone app... now I know.

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