Guideline 3.1.1: "In-App Purchase"

What this rejection means

Apple has one rule for money inside apps: if a person pays to unlock something they use inside the app, the payment has to go through Apple's in-app purchase system. A Stripe checkout or a PayPal button for digital features breaks that rule everywhere. A "Subscribe on our website" link is allowed on the US storefront, but in most other countries it still breaks the rule.

What counts as "digital" is the whole question. Broadly:

• Needs in-app purchase: subscriptions to the app, "Pro" or "Premium" tiers, extra features, credits or tokens, content inside the app, removing ads.
• Doesn't need it: physical goods, food delivery, rides, in-person services, things you consume outside the app. Those can use any payment method.

There are special cases — reader apps, business-to-business software, services like coaching sessions — and the rules around linking to outside payments have changed several times since 2024 and differ by country. That is exactly the kind of judgment a reviewer makes, and the kind we make before we touch anything.

Why apps built with AI tools get this so often

AI builders come with Stripe built in. Ask Lovable, Bolt or Replit for a paid plan and you get a Stripe checkout in minutes. That is perfect for a web app and exactly what Apple rejects in an iPhone app.

• A Stripe or PayPal checkout inside the appThe "Upgrade" button opens a card form. On the web that is normal. On the App Store it is a 3.1.1 rejection.
• "Pay on our website" linksOutside the US, sending people to a web page to subscribe, then unlocking the app, is treated the same as taking the payment in the app.
• Credits, tokens and AI usage packsMany AI apps sell message credits. Those are digital goods and need Apple's system.
• Pricing pages copied from the web appOutside the US, even a pricing screen that mentions outside prices or "cheaper on the web" can trigger a rejection.
• Subscriptions without the pieces Apple expectsApple also checks that a subscription app shows the terms clearly and lets people restore what they paid for.

What Apple is actually asking for

"If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase."App Store Review Guidelines, 3.1.1 — developer.apple.com

The intent: anything digital that a person buys to use in the app goes through Apple, so Apple can handle the receipt, the refund, the family sharing, the cancellation, and take its commission. Apple does not want a second payment system hiding inside the app, and outside the US it does not want the app nudging people to pay somewhere else either.

What we fix

First we work out which side of the line your product is on. If it genuinely doesn't need in-app purchase, we tell Apple why, properly. If it does, we make the app comply. The usual issues:

We make the changes inside your project and your own developer account. A few steps can only be done by the account holder — agreeing to Apple's paid apps terms and entering your bank and tax details — and we walk you through those in your dashboard chat. Then the app is resubmitted from your account.

How long it takes

3.1.1 is one of the bigger fixes. The app changes are one part; the products also have to exist in your developer account and be ready for Apple to test. Here is what to expect:

1. Day 0
   You share your project and the rejectionTell us what you sell and what it costs. That decides everything else.
2. Day 1
   We decide which side of the line you are onYou get a plain-English plan: in-app purchase, an exemption, or both.
3. Days 1–6
   We make the changesApp and account work in parallel. Most are done within a few days; some need a week.
4. Then
   Resubmitted from your accountApple reviews the app and the purchases together, usually within one to three days.
5. Done
   Approved, or we go againUnlimited resubmissions are included. Full refund if it is never approved.

What happens if you ignore it

You can't sell inside your iPhone and iPad app, which for most paid apps means there is no point being on the store. Hiding the payment — showing it only after review, or behind a special login — is a bad idea: Apple's guidelines call that out specifically, apps get removed for it after approval, and repeated attempts put your developer account at risk.

Ignoring the rule also doesn't make it go away. Apple checks payments on every update, so a live app that slips through tends to get caught on its next release.

Often rejected together with 3.1.1

Built with an AI tool?

Each builder has its own patterns. See what we usually find for yours:

Questions about Guideline 3.1.1