Apple recently previewed new discount options for auto-renewing subscriptions in iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac apps which will permit developers to offer a discounted price for a specific duration for existing and previously subscribed customers. Today, the company has detailed three ways app makers will soon be able to win past subscribers back.

From Apple’s article on the Developer Center portal:

Subscription offers can help re-engage subscribers who have canceled their subscriptions or promote an upgrade to another subscription at a special price.

In addition to introductory offers, apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to provide a discounted price in the form of:

  • A free trial period
  • A lower price during a set period
  • A broader discount based on duration

Apple itself has used these private APIs in the past to promote Apple Music by offering users to purchase a yearly membership for the price of ten full months of service.

From a help article on App Store Connect:

  • Free: Customers access your subscription for free for a specific duration — for example, a 30-day trial for a subscription with a standard renewal price of $4.99 per month.
  • Pay As You Go: Customers pay a promotional price for each billing period for a selected duration—for example, $1.99 per month for three months for a subscription with a standard renewal price of $9.99 per month.
  • Pay Up Front: Customers pay a one-time promotional price for a specific duration — for example, $9.99 for the first six months of a subscription with a standard renewal price of $39.99 per year.

This bit is also interesting:

Using receipt validation, you’ll be able to identify subscribers who have turned off auto-renewal so that you can act quickly with the right offer and win them back before the end of their current subscription period.

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.

More information is available in Apple’s documentation for developers.

Programmers who would like to prepare their apps for these new features are advised to implement the new StoreKit APIs.

These new offers will require the iOS 12.2 software for iPhone and iPad, the macOS 10.14.4 software update on your computer and the tvOS 12.2 update on your Apple TV set-top box.