Setting up In-App Purchases in AppStore

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

I realize my question is no so much “Corona” as it is “Apple App Store” but at this point I’ve got nowhere else to turn.

I’ve burned through about 2 months of rejected submissions trying to incorporate in-app purchases in the AppStore. My Android version has been up and running and all is well. But can somebody please point me toward a good tutorial on setting up non-consumable in-app purchases in Apple’s AppStore. 

And please don’t point me toward the apple dev link, as I’ve read it about 2 dozen times…and if it hasn’t worked for me by now then I’m obviously missing something from there.

Here’s what I BELIEVE to be true…but can’t confirm ANY of it by myself.

  1. You have to set up an additional test account to test the in-app purchases (like on Android). Ok.

  2. Your app can’t be in a “rejected” state and still be able to test the in-app purchases. My understanding is it has to be green. Which is a problem as I can’t seem to get there.

  3. From a couple of rejections I get that you have to “submit” your in-app purchases…but really have NO IDEA what that means as I have “managed my in-app purchases” and submitted them for review…where they sit in a “waiting for review” state. Waiting…what exactly are they waiting on?

And the super frustrating thing is…because I can’t get even THIS far I can’t even begin testing yet.

If anyone has any tutorials/instructions/guides whatever on this…please show me the way.

Thanks,

Todd

#2

You need to submit your IAP products together with your App.  If you go inside your App (on iTunes Connect), you have a place to select what IAP products do you want to submit together with the app.

PS: what are the reasons that Apple is giving you for the rejection?

#3

First. Thanks for the quick reply.

Secondly…and that’s part of where I’m obviously missing something. In previous versions I thought that, because they are non-consumable items, that Apple had to ‘host’ the IAP. Well I tried (and failed) to figure out how to 'create IAP files in xcode and upload them before realizing that because they are not extra data items…it’s just unlocks for the different level sets.

So 2 versions ago I changed “Apple to Host” to false which got me my initial “Missing In App Purchase” error. 

So last version I found the “Manage in app purchases section” and  the “submit purchases for review” section. I made sure all my items were checked and hit “submit”…thinking…apparently incorrectly…that they would be “reviewed” when my app was “reviewed”. But obviously, I missed something because I got the same “Missing In App Purchase” rejection again this time. And all my purchases are still flagged…and still “waiting for review”.

“We are unable to complete the review of your app since one or more of your In App Purchases have not been submitted for review.”

I love the following line…which tells me to “take action”…I’d love to. What action are they wanting me to take?

Thanks again,

Todd

#4

This might be something you need to contact Apple for assistance about.  But there are some general things:

  • If your app supports IAP, then you must include at least one IAP in order for the app itself to be approved.

  • In order to test your app, you can actually use any account, but remember that you cannot change that account’s purchase status.  So when you need to re-test something, you will have to create a new account because there is no way to remove IAP purchases from a user’s status.  So it is best to create test accounts and use those for testing.

  • For testing purposes, the IAP must be in a Ready to Submit status (at least).  If it is not there yet, then they will not show up when you do a loadProducts call.  (That was my experience at least.  I can’t say for sure that it is required, but I believe that to be true.)

  • If you have not submitted the app for review, but have submitted the IAP for review, it might be stuck on Waiting for review because they have nothing to use to review them with. (Again, not positive on this, but I believe that to be correct.)

Not sure what you are looking for at this point - the ability to test your app, or the ability to submit your app.  That is not clear from your post.

#5

Ooops, sorry, opened your post in a new tab and didn’t get around to commenting until a few minutes ago and see that you are already discussing it.   :slight_smile:

#6

I think you are probably forgetting to submit the IAPs with you app.

If you want, send me a message and we can do a Google Hangout and go through it.

#7

I would also check to verify that each of the IAP you have submitted does not have the Host with Apple option selected.  I accidentally selected that on one and it wasn’t clear to me that I had done it.

#8

Again, thanks for the speedy reply.

This might be something you need to contact Apple for assistance about.  But there are some general things:

  • If your app supports IAP, then you must include at least one IAP in order for the app itself to be approved.

"Check", I’ve got 4 total (and that’s all I’ve got planned. All are non-consumable, but not “hosted” by Apple.)

  • In order to test your app, you can actually use any account, but remember that you cannot change that account’s purchase status.  So when you need to re-test something, you will have to create a new account because there is no way to remove IAP purchases from a user’s status.  So it is best to create test accounts and use those for testing.

Thank you, good to know. When I manage to get to the “testing” phase I’ll be sure to make a few accounts.

  • For testing purposes, the IAP must be in a Ready to Submit status (at least).  If it is not there yet, then they will not show up when you do a loadProducts call.  (That was my experience at least.  I can’t say for sure that it is required, but I believe that to be true.)

Whoa. Hold on. So my app doesn’t have to be APPROVED to test? That would at least let me start testing. Thanks! I’ll give that a try because I can GET to that status.

  • If you have not submitted the app for review, but have submitted the IAP for review, it might be stuck on Waiting for review because they have nothing to use to review them with. (Again, not positive on this, but I believe that to be correct.)

Any idea on how to “reset” them?

Not sure what you are looking for at this point - the ability to test your app, or the ability to submit your app.  That is not clear from your post.

At this point testing would be a BIG move in the right direction. And you may have gotten me to that point, I’ll give it a try. Ultimately…sure I’m hoping if all tests out well that I’ll will at some point be able to get the app approved so I can release it.

I will triple check to make sure none of them are still marked as “host with Apple”.

Thanks,

Todd

#9

Will do. Thanks a ton.

#10

So in my case, my apps were already submitted and approved before I added IAP to them.  That’s why I am probably not the best person to direct you in this case.

But it seems unlikely that Apple would want to make developers go through submitting an app, submitting an IAP, and then being able to test it.  That hardly makes sense at all.  For either a developer or for Apple.  But there does seem to be some confusion over this.  But from what I have seen from posts from developers who have gotten this to  work is that no, your app does not need to be approved to test.

With that said, some people said you needed to submit a binary, then reject it yourself, then you could test.  Not sure if that is accurate or not. 

I am working on a new app now and will likely be going through process, so hopefully will have first hand knowledge soon enough.

#11

The reason I suggest doing that, is just because it seems that is still the error you are getting from them.  And what I didn’t notice is that after Apple approved my app and my IAP, they then reset the Cleared for sale status to No.  And I didn’t notice that at first.  So I was trying to fix things and I accidentally enabled the Host with Apple setting but didn’t really see good notification that I had done that.  So better to be safe.

#12

Super. Yes, I can now confirm the app doesn’t need to be approved to test IAP.  Everything checked out just fine which is awesome…now if I can just get it approved through the store.  

But things are looking much brighter than they were this morning. Thanks you guys for the help.

Todd

#13

You need to submit your IAP products together with your App.  If you go inside your App (on iTunes Connect), you have a place to select what IAP products do you want to submit together with the app.

PS: what are the reasons that Apple is giving you for the rejection?

#14

First. Thanks for the quick reply.

Secondly…and that’s part of where I’m obviously missing something. In previous versions I thought that, because they are non-consumable items, that Apple had to ‘host’ the IAP. Well I tried (and failed) to figure out how to 'create IAP files in xcode and upload them before realizing that because they are not extra data items…it’s just unlocks for the different level sets.

So 2 versions ago I changed “Apple to Host” to false which got me my initial “Missing In App Purchase” error. 

So last version I found the “Manage in app purchases section” and  the “submit purchases for review” section. I made sure all my items were checked and hit “submit”…thinking…apparently incorrectly…that they would be “reviewed” when my app was “reviewed”. But obviously, I missed something because I got the same “Missing In App Purchase” rejection again this time. And all my purchases are still flagged…and still “waiting for review”.

“We are unable to complete the review of your app since one or more of your In App Purchases have not been submitted for review.”

I love the following line…which tells me to “take action”…I’d love to. What action are they wanting me to take?

Thanks again,

Todd

#15

This might be something you need to contact Apple for assistance about.  But there are some general things:

  • If your app supports IAP, then you must include at least one IAP in order for the app itself to be approved.

  • In order to test your app, you can actually use any account, but remember that you cannot change that account’s purchase status.  So when you need to re-test something, you will have to create a new account because there is no way to remove IAP purchases from a user’s status.  So it is best to create test accounts and use those for testing.

  • For testing purposes, the IAP must be in a Ready to Submit status (at least).  If it is not there yet, then they will not show up when you do a loadProducts call.  (That was my experience at least.  I can’t say for sure that it is required, but I believe that to be true.)

  • If you have not submitted the app for review, but have submitted the IAP for review, it might be stuck on Waiting for review because they have nothing to use to review them with. (Again, not positive on this, but I believe that to be correct.)

Not sure what you are looking for at this point - the ability to test your app, or the ability to submit your app.  That is not clear from your post.

#16

Ooops, sorry, opened your post in a new tab and didn’t get around to commenting until a few minutes ago and see that you are already discussing it.   :slight_smile:

#17

I think you are probably forgetting to submit the IAPs with you app.

If you want, send me a message and we can do a Google Hangout and go through it.

#18

I would also check to verify that each of the IAP you have submitted does not have the Host with Apple option selected.  I accidentally selected that on one and it wasn’t clear to me that I had done it.

#19

Again, thanks for the speedy reply.

This might be something you need to contact Apple for assistance about.  But there are some general things:

  • If your app supports IAP, then you must include at least one IAP in order for the app itself to be approved.

"Check", I’ve got 4 total (and that’s all I’ve got planned. All are non-consumable, but not “hosted” by Apple.)

  • In order to test your app, you can actually use any account, but remember that you cannot change that account’s purchase status.  So when you need to re-test something, you will have to create a new account because there is no way to remove IAP purchases from a user’s status.  So it is best to create test accounts and use those for testing.

Thank you, good to know. When I manage to get to the “testing” phase I’ll be sure to make a few accounts.

  • For testing purposes, the IAP must be in a Ready to Submit status (at least).  If it is not there yet, then they will not show up when you do a loadProducts call.  (That was my experience at least.  I can’t say for sure that it is required, but I believe that to be true.)

Whoa. Hold on. So my app doesn’t have to be APPROVED to test? That would at least let me start testing. Thanks! I’ll give that a try because I can GET to that status.

  • If you have not submitted the app for review, but have submitted the IAP for review, it might be stuck on Waiting for review because they have nothing to use to review them with. (Again, not positive on this, but I believe that to be correct.)

Any idea on how to “reset” them?

Not sure what you are looking for at this point - the ability to test your app, or the ability to submit your app.  That is not clear from your post.

At this point testing would be a BIG move in the right direction. And you may have gotten me to that point, I’ll give it a try. Ultimately…sure I’m hoping if all tests out well that I’ll will at some point be able to get the app approved so I can release it.

I will triple check to make sure none of them are still marked as “host with Apple”.

Thanks,

Todd

#20

Will do. Thanks a ton.