Free trial terms clear — duration and post-trial price displayed
Why it matters
Apple guideline 3.1.2(b) and the FTC Negative Option Rule both require that free trial terms — duration and post-trial price — are clearly disclosed before the user initiates the trial. A paywall that shows "Start Free Trial" without disclosing what the user will be charged after the trial is one of the most common subscription rejection reasons Apple cites. The FTC Negative Option Rule (effective 2024) extends this obligation to US consumers in digital subscription flows: failure to disclose post-trial pricing is an unfair or deceptive act regardless of where the purchase occurs. The compliance risk applies to the developer directly, not only to the platform relationship.
Severity rationale
High because missing post-trial price disclosure is one of the most cited subscription rejection reasons under Apple guideline 3.1.2(b) and also triggers FTC Negative Option Rule exposure for US users.
Remediation
Display the trial duration and the post-trial price together, near the CTA, before the user taps. Never hardcode these values — fetch them from the SDK so they stay accurate if the offer changes in App Store Connect.
// RevenueCat — fetch trial terms from SDK
const pkg = offering?.monthly;
const introPrice = pkg?.product.introductoryPrice;
const trialPeriod = introPrice?.subscriptionPeriod; // e.g., "P7D"
const regularPrice = pkg?.product.priceString;
// Display near CTA
<Text>7-day free trial</Text>
<Text>Then {regularPrice}/month — cancel anytime in Settings</Text>
<Text>You won't be charged until {formatTrialEndDate(trialPeriod)}</Text>
<SubscribeButton title="Start Free Trial" />
If you hardcode trial duration ("7-day free trial"), a change in App Store Connect without a code update creates a mismatch between the disclosed and actual trial — which is an additional violation.
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-3.1.2b — Apple App Store Review Guidelines § 3.1.2(b) — Free Trial Disclosures
- external · ftc-negative-option-rule — FTC Negative Option Rule — Clear and conspicuous disclosure of free trial terms (16 CFR Part 425)
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from app-store-iap-subscriptions·automated