An auto-renewable subscription is an in-app purchase that renews on its own until the person cancels it. Durations run from 1 week to 1 year, a group holds up to 100 subscriptions, and after a year of paid service you receive 85% of the price instead of 70%.
What kind of purchase it is
People sign up once and the App Store charges them at the start of every period until they cancel. Guideline 3.1.2(a) of the App Store Review Guidelines, last updated June 8, 2026, requires a subscription to deliver ongoing value, last at least 7 days and work on all of the person's devices where the app is available. Apple's examples include new game levels, episodic content, cloud storage and software that gets regular updates.
It is one of four purchase types, the other three are covered on the in-app purchase page. Discounts and free periods on the first term are explained on the introductory offers page.
Groups and levels
Every subscription belongs to a group. A group gathers the variations of one product, such as monthly and annual plans or basic and full access, and a person can hold only one active subscription per group. App Store Connect Help calls a single group the right choice for most apps. A second group only makes sense for products people buy at the same time, and each is then billed separately.
Inside a group subscriptions are ranked by level, with level 1 offering the most. Levels decide what happens when someone changes plans.
- Upgrade. Takes effect at once, and the unused part of the old subscription is refunded.
- Downgrade. Starts at the next renewal date.
- Crossgrade to the same level. Immediate for the same duration, at the next renewal for a different one.
Where it lives in App Store Connect
Go to App Store Connect › Apps › your app › Monetization › Subscriptions. The add button (+) creates a group, and Create inside it adds a subscription with a Reference Name and Product ID. On the subscription page you pick the Subscription Duration, set the price under Subscription Prices, choose countries under Availability and leave a note for the reviewer under Review Information. The same page turns on Family Sharing and adds localized names.
The first subscription and the first group go to review only together with a new app version. A subscription's duration can't be changed once it has been submitted for review.
Apple's durations, shares and numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Durations | 1 week, 1, 2, 3 or 6 months, 1 year |
| Minimum under guideline 3.1.2(a) | 7 days |
| Subscriptions per group | up to 100 |
| Active subscriptions per person per group | one |
| Your share in a subscriber's first year | 70% of the price minus taxes |
| After a year of paid service in the group | 85% |
| Small Business Program | 85% from day one |
| Gap that keeps the time earned | up to 60 days |
Per App Store Connect Help and the App Store Review Guidelines, checked October 16, 2026.
Rates by country are collected on the App Store commission page.
What changed in 2026
- April 27, 2026. Monthly payments with a 12-month commitment arrived. The person pays every month and can cancel at any time, after which the subscription stops renewing once the agreed payments are made. It works on iOS 26.4 and later everywhere except the United States and Singapore, and in App Store Connect you set it up with a 1-year duration (Apple news).
- September 16, 2026. Multiseat purchases are on by default for subscriptions. Volume Purchasing for organizations in Apple Business and Apple School Manager launches on October 22, 2026, and Group Purchases for teams follows this winter (Apple news).
- iOS 27. Apple has announced Bundles and Suites, one purchase covering several subscriptions or one subscription covering a set of apps.
How to set up a subscription, step by step
- Accept the Paid Apps Agreement and add banking and tax details, without them nothing can be sold.
- Create one group and give it a clear name, people see it on the App Store and on the subscriptions page in iPhone settings.
- Add subscriptions for the durations you need and rank them, with full access at level 1.
- Set prices. Raising a price later is covered on the price points page.
- Fill in names for each language and a note for the reviewer.
- Test the purchase in the sandbox, where changes can take up to an hour to show.
- Submit the subscription together with a new app version.
Appto sets up the group, the subscriptions and prices by country in App Store Connect and asks for your yes before it writes anything (App Store Connect in Appto).
Common mistakes
- Monthly and annual plans in separate groups. People can buy both at once and end up paying twice.
- Levels in reverse. If the basic plan ranks above the full one, the App Store treats a move to the full plan as a downgrade and applies it only at the next renewal.
- Picking a duration on a whim. Once submitted it can't be changed, so you would have to create a new subscription.
- A subscription for a one-off item. Guideline 3.1.2(a) requires ongoing value, and a one-off item is sold as a regular purchase.
Questions
How many subscriptions can one app have?
Up to 100 per group, and a person has one active subscription per group. You can create several groups, but Apple suggests a single group for most apps.
How much does a developer earn from a subscription?
70% of the price minus taxes in a subscriber's first year and 85% after a year of paid service in the same group. Small Business Program members get 85% from day one (App Store Connect Help, checked October 16, 2026).
Can I change a subscription's duration?
Not after it has been submitted for review. If you need another duration, create a new subscription in the same group.
What is a monthly subscription with a 12-month commitment?
An annual plan paid month by month, which Apple launched on April 27, 2026. It works on iOS 26.4 and later in every country except the United States and Singapore.
How is an auto-renewable subscription different from a non-renewing one?
An auto-renewable subscription renews by itself until it is cancelled. A non-renewing subscription gives access for a fixed period and has to be bought again to continue.
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