Apple’s new change enable apps to hike subscription price without alerting users

New Delhi: There have been several controversies regarding Apple’s methods to keep apps and giver subscriptions via the Apple App Store. The company has been under many antitrust complaints about its commission that the Cupertino-based giant charges developers for keeping their apps on the App Store. However, Apple is bringing a change that might enhance more problems for the company, in terms of how its payments and subscriptions are perceived.

From now on, Apple will allow developers to increase the price of the subscription without the confirmation of the users. This requires the developers to maximise their subscription prices without needing the users to get involved in it. Earlier, users would get a notification that would alert them about a price hike in any of the subscription services they use. Later, it depended on the user whether to agree to the price hike or not.

Following the change, Apple will allow the developers to charge the increased subscription fee without needing the users to opt-in. Previously, the subscription used to end if the user did not agree to a refreshed subscription fee. However, now if the user ignores the price hike, they will automatically start paying for the increased subscription fee.

The new change includes features like the price increase doesn’t occur more than once a year, doesn’t exceed $5 and 50% of the subscription price, or $50 and 50% for an annual subscription price, and is permissible by local law.

Apple stated that the current and earlier method caused abrupt interruption of many people’s services. “Currently, when an auto-renewable subscription price is increased, subscribers must opt in before the price increase is applied. The subscription doesn’t renew at the next billing period for subscribers who didn’t opt in to the new price. This has led to some services being unintentionally interrupted for users and they must take steps to resubscribe within the app, from Settings on iPhone and iPad, or in the App Store on Mac,” the company stated.