We have a non-reader iOS app that sells a subscription unlocking digital features within the app.
For users on the United States App Store storefront, we are considering adding a button that opens an external browser and directs the user to a web-based subscription checkout. The completed web purchase would unlock the same digital subscription entitlement in the iOS app.
We understand that, following the May 2025 changes to App Review Guidelines 3.1.1 and 3.1.1(a), US storefront apps may include buttons, external links, or calls to action directing users to alternative purchasing methods without requiring the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement.
Could someone clarify the following?
For a non-reader app on the US storefront, must Apple In-App Purchase remain available alongside the external web checkout? Can the app show only the web-based checkout to US storefront users while continuing to use Apple IAP in other storefronts? Does Guideline 3.1.1 still require every digital subscription available through web checkout to also be available through Apple IAP? If both methods are required, must they be displayed on the same screen, or is it sufficient for both to be reasonably accessible within the app? Is the applicable eligibility determined by the user’s App Store storefront rather than their physical location or IP address? Are there any additional disclosures, entitlements, reporting requirements, or App Review notes required for this US-only flow? We would appreciate references to the applicable current guidelines or official Apple documentation.
This question concerns only the United States storefront. We understand that external-purchase programs in the EU and other regions have separate requirements.
If you can also share about EU rules for web-based payment, that would be great.