Subscription price, duration, and auto-renewal terms visible before purchase
Why it matters
Apple guideline 3.1.2 and the FTC Negative Option Rule both require that subscription price, billing period, auto-renewal disclosure, and cancellation mechanism are clearly displayed before the user initiates a purchase. Apps that bury auto-renewal disclosures in Terms of Service links or show only a price without a billing period have been rejected under these requirements. Beyond policy, the FTC Negative Option Rule (updated 2023) applies to recurring charges to US consumers regardless of platform — companies that violate it face FTC enforcement actions. Google Play Subscription Policy carries equivalent disclosure requirements.
Severity rationale
High because missing auto-renewal disclosure is one of the most consistent subscription-app rejection reasons under Apple guideline 3.1.2, and also triggers FTC Negative Option Rule compliance exposure.
Remediation
Ensure all four required elements appear above the purchase button on the paywall, visible without any additional tap or scroll:
// PaywallScreen.tsx — all four elements above the CTA
<Text>{price}/month</Text>
<Text>Billed monthly. Automatically renews until cancelled.</Text>
<Text>Cancel anytime in device Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.</Text>
<SubscribeButton />
<PrivacyAndTermsLinks />
The price must come from the platform IAP SDK — never a hardcoded string. For annual plans, the billing period must be explicit ("billed annually" rather than showing only a per-month breakdown). For Apple, also include links to your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy on the paywall.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the App Store IAP & Subscriptions Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- external · apple-guideline-3.1.2 — Apple App Store Review Guidelines § 3.1.2 — Subscriptions (auto-renewal disclosure requirements)
- external · ftc-negative-option-rule — FTC Negative Option Rule — Pre-purchase disclosure of subscription terms (16 CFR Part 425)
- external · google-play-subscription-policy — Google Play Subscription Policy — Pre-purchase disclosure requirements
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from app-store-iap-subscriptions·automated