Subscription App Guidelines: Pricing, Trials, and Compliance

Pricing Transparency Requirements

Before any subscription purchase, users must clearly see: the exact price per billing period, the billing frequency (weekly, monthly, annual), what is included in the subscription, any introductory or promotional pricing with clear terms, the auto-renewal nature of the subscription, and how to cancel. This information must be visible before the user reaches the payment confirmation sheet. Burying it in fine print triggers rejection.

Free Trial Rules

Free trials must clearly state: the trial duration, what happens when the trial ends (automatic billing), the price after the trial, and how to cancel before being charged. Apple and Google both prohibit: misleading trial offers that auto-convert without clear disclosure, trials that require payment information without clearly indicating auto-renewal, and trials that are difficult to cancel.

Cancellation and Management

Your app must: link to the platform's subscription management page (not your own cancellation flow), honor platform-managed cancellations immediately, not guilt-trip or make cancellation difficult, provide clear information about what happens after cancellation (access until period ends, data retention), and support subscription downgrades and upgrades through the platform's system.

Frequently Asked Questions

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