In-app purchases Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

You're the Pundit: Is in-app purchasing out of control?

by Erica Sadun (Dec 8th, 2011)

When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is in-app purchasing, or IAP for short. We've been having a house debate recently about the proper role of IAP in game ...

Daily Update for September 23, 2011

by Steven Sande (Sep 23rd, 2011)

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the ...

Developers bemoan trouble with in-app purchases

by Kelly Hodgkins (Sep 23rd, 2011)

Twitter was buzzing this morning about a problem with Apple's in-app purchasing system. According to the comments, Apple's receipt verification system is down and developers are losing potential sales. An unconfirmed report from Engadget suggests, Apple may be trying to purge the system of fake ...

Report: In-app purchases a strong source of iOS app revenue

by Steven Sande (Sep 22nd, 2011)

iOS app developers who are looking to make big bucks on the App Store should consider using the in-app purchase model, according to a recently published study from Distimo. In-app purchases are a huge source of revenue, accounting for a whopping 72 percent of all App Store revenues. That ...

Freemium items may make money for devs, but aren't kept by consumers

by Mike Schramm (Aug 17th, 2011)

The developers behind the iOS game Hungry Shark recently released some statistics showing just how powerful the freemium model (in which customers download an app or game for free, and then support it with in-app purchases) can be. While the game floundered as a paid app, it's gotten much more ...

Wired, GQ in-app purchase subscriptions launching today

by Steven Sande (May 24th, 2011)

Condé Nast has officially launched subscriptions today for iPad editions of Wired and GQ. The Wired and GQ apps are free, and readers can buy either single issues at US$1.99 a pop or a full year for $19.99 through in-app purchases. The subscriptions automatically renew until you cancel ...

Report: 40% of App Store game downloads are freemium

by Mike Schramm (May 3rd, 2011)

Xyologic is a company that analyzes mobile app sales and trends, and its latest report says that a full 40 percent of game downloads from Apple's App Store consist of freemium titles -- games that are free to download, but make money with ads or in-app purchases. Ngmoco made a big splash a ...

Apple faces lawsuit over in-app purchases by children

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 15th, 2011)

Apple is facing a lawsuit over its newly revised in-app purchasing policy. The suit was filed by Garen Meguerian of Pennsylvania who accuses Apple of the unlawful exploitation of children with this iOS feature. The crux of the suit hinges on Apple's policy that uses a single password to gain ...

TUAW's Daily App: ClubWorld

by Mike Schramm (Apr 8th, 2011)

ClubWorld may not exactly be your kind of game. It's sort of a mashup of popular freemium gameplay elements. ClubWorld includes Farmville-style time sinks as you build your club up, social environments to customize and share with friends, and even some music-based mini-games. The look and the ...

Tap Tap Tap developer says 5% of Camera+ users make in-app purchases

by Chris Ward (Apr 6th, 2011)

So yes, says Tap Tap Tap boss John Casasanta, US$70,000 isn't to be sniffed at, but it still represents only 5 percent of Camera+'s 2 MILLION users using the in-app purchase facility to buy the $0.99 "I (heart) Analog" effects pack. Well, whether or not you sniff at 70 grand depends rather on ...

Apple changes purchase policy so your kids don't max out your credit card

by Steven Sande (Mar 10th, 2011)

The Washington Post is reporting that Apple has changed its policy on in-app purchases on iOS devices to protect users from accidentally toting up huge iTunes charges. iOS 4.3 has a feature that requires a password when any purchases are made within an application after it has been downloaded. ...

Federal Trade Commission is reviewing Apple's in-app purchase system

by Kelly Hodgkins (Feb 23rd, 2011)

The FTC is reviewing Apple's in-app purchasing policy after reports of inadvertent purchases by children have continued to surface. FTC Chairperson Jon Leibowitz agreed to look closely at the matter after Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts brought the matter to his attention. Leibowitz ...

Why Amazon may not care about in-app purchase

by Erica Sadun (Feb 23rd, 2011)

In all this furor about the App Store and in-app purchases, we have not heard a peep from Amazon, the 800-pound gorilla of external content. (TUAW long since contacted Amazon for a statement, and like everyone else, never heard anything back). Chuck Toporek of Addison Wesley/Pearson has a ...

TinyGrab declines to sell subscriptions through the App Store

by Mike Schramm (Feb 21st, 2011)

Add another name to the list of developers who are choosing to opt-out of Apple's subscription restrictions lately. Rhapsody and Readability were the first two we posted about, although Readability didn't so much opt-out as get rejected and decide not to play the subscription game. Now, a service ...

Well, that's just Smurfy! Apple reportedly talks to Capcom about Smurfs' Village

by Megan Lavey-Heaton (Feb 16th, 2011)

We reported last week on how a kid playing with the Smurfs' Village iOS app racked up hundreds of dollars in charges, prompting a variety of responses regarding how Apple and parents should treat such apps. Now PocketGamer.biz is reporting that Apple has taken game publisher Capcom to task for ...