Apple Lets App Developers Show Retention Messages During Subscription Cancellation
Subscribers who start cancelling an auto-renewable app subscription may now see an offer or message before the cancellation completes.
Apple has introduced a subscription retention feature that lets app developers display retention messages when a user starts the cancellation process for an auto-renewable subscription. Developers can attach text, images or a special offer to these messages through App Store Connect, and can set which subscribers are eligible and how long to wait between showings. A separate Retention Messaging API lets developers pick the message to show based on a subscriber's subscription details, though access to that API is granted only on request. Users of the App Store may therefore see a discount or a reason to stay before a cancellation goes through.
Why it matters
For people who pay for app subscriptions, the change means cancelling may now come with a prompt to stay, often an offer or discount. Developers decide which subscribers see these messages and how often, so the experience will differ from app to app. The more tailored Retention Messaging API is available only on request, so the most individualised version of this feature will reach a smaller set of developers first. Users should expect to see these prompts more often as adoption grows.
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