Developers Now Able to Offer Promo Codes for In-App Purchases - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Developers Now Able to Offer Promo Codes for In-App Purchases

by

appstoreApple today announced that it is now letting developers create promo codes for in-app purchases, giving developers a way to allow early testers, reviewers, and press to unlock content that would normally only be available through a purchase.

Developers have long been able to offer promo codes to download a paid app, but until today, there was no simple way to offer access to in-app purchases.

Developers are able to give away up to 100 promo codes for each in-app purchase item, up to a maximum of 1,000 codes per app every six months.

Top Rated Comments

129 months ago
How about demo/trial? Upgrade pricing? I guess not yet..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
129 months ago
FINALLY!!! #courage
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
129 months ago
FINALLY!!! #courage
Innovation!
Just as courageous and innovative as people posting the exact same things over and over again in the comments of every single article on this website.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jessica Lares Avatar
129 months ago
Not bad, lots of camera filters and game currency IAP freebies coming our way I bet.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
129 months ago
Profound.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thermodynamic Avatar
129 months ago
I wouldn't call #courage "bashing". As I said its a little jab at them for taking so long to implement one of the most requested developer features for as long as I remember.

Unlike you I'm more than a fanboy so I have the right to jab at them out of frustration. Even if its tedious on you to read it over and over again. You are looking at this from a biased perspective. Reading article after article with people "bashing" Apple, my little jab seems like another bash to you. But really its a little tiny jab
[doublepost=1477830724][/doublepost]

Horrible idea! Between users not willing to pay for app upfront and developers already having a hard time making money, this would be the final straw. IAPs are one of the only ways to introduce users to the app and a basic set of features and allow them to pay for more advanced features. Without annoying and intrusive ads or asking for an upfront payment.

Additionally because indie devs are having a hard time generating income, many are abandoning their apps or leaving them outdated and unsupported. IAP promos is a cheap way of doing this for them. As promos are suppose to cause a spike in downloads and therefore spur more organic growth that should result in more IAP purchases and such.

Still not the best solution because it makes indie devs sacrifice short term profit for POTENTIALLY future earnings. Apple needs to spur more opportunities for developers to make money to keep their ecosystem strong.
Now educate users on why pay-for apps are better than "free" ads that usurp away your monthly bandwidth and processor time with all the hidden garbage... oh, wait, app crap makers prefer the ad-based revenue since it's more moola for them in the long road, or at least for the 2 minutes a person uses a game before getting sick and ****ing tired of ads...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....