Apple Helps iOS Devs Lure Back Subscribers With Discounts

Apple has announced that it’s releasing new tools to help developers keep current customers, and lure back past subscribers.

“Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to provide a discounted price for existing or previously subscribed customers. Subscription offers can help re-engage subscribers who have canceled their subscriptions, or promote an upgrade to another subscription at a special price,” the company wrote in an update.

Before the change, developers were only able to make introductory offers — such as a special price or free trial — to attract first-time subscribers. The new tools will allow developers to create deals specifically for existing or previously subscribed customers. “These offers provide the flexibility to create unique promotions to grow and retain your customer base. They can help win back subscribers …. Once the promotional period ends, the subscription auto-renews at the standard price,” the company explained.

While, in the past, developers could only provide one offer per subscription, per territory, they can now activate up to 10 offers per subscription to figure out which deals work best. In addition, developers will get to make decisions on the business logic for each offer, choosing when an offer displays to a customer, which territories are targeted and how many offers can be redeemed.

Developers will also be able to use receipt validation tools to identify subscribers who turned off auto-renewal, so they can be sent new offers before their subscription ends. “You can also start thinking about win-back and upgrade campaigns that make sense for your business, and what each user journey looks like. For example, consider the offer that will be most effective for users who cancel during a free trial versus users who cancel after spending time on an active subscription,” according to Apple.