On Monday, Apple announced that it would allow developers to automatically charge customers when a subscription price increases — but only in certain cases.
Currently, if a developer wants to increase a subscription price to their app, users will be unsubscribed and have to resubscribe and consent to the new price. However, Apple notes that this has caused "some services being unintentionally interrupted for users."
Now, Apple will allow developers to charge subscribers a new, higher rate automatically and will not require a user to provide consent.
The update on Apple's developer site reads, "with this update, under certain specific conditions and with advance user notice, developers may also offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase, without the user needing to take action and without interrupting the service."
This does not mean that developers can simply charge customers whatever they want. Apple notes that there are specific conditions that must be met.
For example, the price increase cannot occur more than once per year. It also cannot exceed $5 and 50% of the subscription price, or $50 and 50% for the annual subscription price.
Users will automatically be alerted ahead of price increases by Apple, who will send an email, push notification, and message within the app.
Apple also notes that the new feature is subject to local law.
Apple recently addressed developers' concerns about the company removing outdated apps from the App Store. Developers will have 90 days to update apps that have not been updated in the past three years and have failed to meet a minimum download threshold in a 12-month period.
