Apple adds 'In-app purchase' warning to iOS App Store, iTunes lists

Posted:
in iPhone edited April 2014
In a change to the iOS App Store pushed out alongside Tuesday's iOS 7.1.1 release, Apple has added labels to listed apps and games that include in-app purchases, with the notifications showing up in both iOS and desktop versions of iTunes.


New in-app purchase labels in iOS (left) and iTunes on Mac.


With the addition, users will see a small "In-app purchases" label just below the app's price, denoting that the title includes the feature even if it is a free download. The new notifications can be found in various App Store lists, like "Top Charts" and individual app categories.

Apple's modification to the digital app marketplace is just the latest in a string of enhancements made to educate customers about in-app purchases, a feature some younger users may not fully comprehend. In March of 2013, so-called "freemium" apps acquired the "Offers In-App Purchases" label, though the warning was displayed only after clicking on an app's description.

More specifically, the move is likely part of an effort to avoid inadvertent purchases made by children who have been known to rack up in-app fees that get charged to their parents' credit cards.

In February 2013, Apple settled a lawsuit leveled by a group of parents whose children accrued hundreds of dollars in bills through in-app purchases. The company paid out $5 iTunes gift card or cash equivalents for some plaintiffs, while those with larger tabs over $30 received full refunds.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    I think the for universal apps is a bad choice. Should be like this:

    nothing: no in app purchases, for this device only
    : in app purchases
    universal (under the button): all iOS devices. or even "all devices"

    Would be more intuitive I believe.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    This is good. I don't like to mess with checking out an app to find out whether it will take in-app purchases to do what it is said to do for free. There's also a lot of apps that love to crash and it's only by reading the reviews you find out the app crashes and has been doing so for months without being fixed.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    I hate the so called "freemium" model. Although I do believe that Apple needs to allow a trial facility should the developer wish to add it.
  • Reply 4 of 8

    Agree, good to see that Apple is moving in the right direction here. Wrote a post about the current problems with freemium last month here http://blog.gamechangersf.com/2014/03/the-free-apps-that-rule-app-stores-are.html

  • Reply 5 of 8
    brlawyerbrlawyer Posts: 828member

    STILL USELESS until Apple allows us to search for apps which do NOT offer IAPs - that's all I need.

  • Reply 6 of 8
    arlomediaarlomedia Posts: 271member

    As a developer, I appreciate any change that will reduce the number of users who don't read the app description to see that some features require IAP's and then write negative reviews about it later.

     

    But I agree with saarek that a facility for a trial period would be even better. I don't understand why Apple prohibits that. Maybe it would be hard to implement in a way that prevents abuse. But they don't even let developers try their own implementations.

  • Reply 7 of 8
    gprovidagprovida Posts: 258member
    While I think it's OK to be more clear, I can't help feeling lazy negligent parents should not expect Apple to do their baby sitting on children behavior. If the kid gets Mom or Dads credit card and does stuff on line who is at fault?
  • Reply 8 of 8
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gprovida View Post



    While I think it's OK to be more clear, I can't help feeling lazy negligent parents should not expect Apple to do their baby sitting on children behavior. If the kid gets Mom or Dads credit card and does stuff on line who is at fault?

    The parents and the goat.

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