Apple store acceptance, submitting an app which users other services for profit

Question

Apple says,

11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected.

Answer 1

Apple have made it clear in their terms for the App Store that you must not offer anything for sale - neither products nor services - from inside an app unless it uses their purchasing APIs. This is why e. g. Amazon had to remove the buy-a-book feature from their Kindle app for iOS. You must not even have a link to a website in your app that would take the user to your website for purchase in Safari. AFAIK even a text hint on some screen inside your app telling people to go to your website for purchase of further services might be problematic in the review process.

In my opinion (which is just that, an opinion) you will probably be good with different apps for CustomerX and CustomerY, each offering free access to a specific subset of your web services. You will even be good if existing users of any of the apps can buy access to additional services on your website and then use them in their respective apps, as long as you do not link to that page from your app. You will, of course, still have to implement some kind of user-id system to recognize which users have access to the additional services, and which don't.

I suggest you take a look at how Amazon does it, because their Kindle app has certainly had a lot of scrutiny from the reviewers. Follow their lead and you should be good.

Answer 2

If you sell guides in the app you probably have to use in app purchases, where apple will remain 30% of the money. otherwise your app will probably get rejected.

if you have an developer account you can check the app store review guidelines.. point 11.2:

11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected

11.13 Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, such as a “buy" button that goes to a web site to purchase a digital book, will be rejected