What you need to know
- Apple has introduced Billing Grace Period for subscriptions.
- The feature will let you continue to use a developer's app even if you miss a payment.
- Developers needs to manually turn on the feature for their app.
Going forward, if you're late to pay an App Store subscription upon renewal, Apple will give you a short grace period. That way you can get your affairs in order while still accessing the app you're subscribed to.
Apple mentions the changes on its Apple Developer website (via 9to5Mac), where it details how the new system works:
We've worked closely with leading developers to create a solution for reducing customer churn while improving the experience for auto-renewable subscriptions. With the new grace period for unsuccessful auto-renewals, subscribers can continue accessing your app's paid content while Apple attempts to collect payment — allowing them time to fix the issue. There won't be any interruption to the subscriber's days of paid service or to your revenue if payment is successful within the grace period.
The new changes will be handy, for example, if a credit card you have on file with Apple expires. From the sound of it, developers have the option to support or not support Billing Grace Period, which can be enabled through App Store Connect.
Apple provides a helpful breakdown of how long a grace period is depending on the subscription duration:
- 1 week offers a six-day grace period.
- 1, 2, 3, and 6 months all offer a 16-day grace period.
- 1 year offers a 16-day grace period.
It's always good practice to make sure you have the funds necessary for renewing subscriptions. But in case you miss a payment, you'll now have a short grace period to continue using a developer's app before you make a payment.
