Guideline 3.1.1 In-App Purchase: what must use IAP, what can't, and what your paywall has to show

On May 1, 2025 Apple updated the guidelines "for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps". The current text of 3.1.1(a) reads:

The scope is narrow and easy to get wrong. It applies to the United States storefront only. The same guideline says that in all other storefronts, apps and their metadata "may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase". An app that shows a web-checkout button to everyone will be rejected for its non-US users.

import StoreKit

func canShowWebCheckout() async -> Bool {
    // countryCode is a three-letter ISO 3166-1 code
    guard let storefront = await Storefront.current else { return false }
    return storefront.countryCode == "USA"
}

Guideline 3.1.2(c) asks you to "clearly describe what the user will get for the price" and points to Schedule 2 of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Between that schedule and Apple's subscriptions guidance, this is what reviewers check:

A rejection from November 2025 shows how literal this is. It asked for "a functional link to the Terms of Use (EULA)" and noted that "the billed amount of your auto-renewable subscription is not clearly and conspicuously displayed". Neither needs a redesign — only the missing lines.

The guideline's wording is soft — "you should make sure you have a restore mechanism for any restorable in-app purchases" — but reviewers enforce it, and Apple's subscription guidance lists restore among the details a sign-up screen must include. Put a visible Restore button on the paywall and in settings.

import StoreKit

Button("Restore Purchases") {
    Task {
        // Forces a sync with the App Store, then re-check entitlements
        try? await AppStore.sync()
    }
}

If you use a subscription backend, call its restore method instead; the RevenueCat review covers what that layer handles for you.

• Seven days minimum. Under 3.1.2(a) a subscription "must last at least seven days", provide ongoing value, and be available across all the user's devices.
• Trials for non-subscription apps. Apple allows a time-based trial through a free non-consumable named in the pattern "XX-day Trial", as long as you state the duration, what stops working afterwards and what it will cost before the trial starts.
• Credits can't expire. Any credits or in-game currency bought through in-app purchase "may not expire".
• Loot boxes need odds. Randomized virtual items must disclose the odds of each type before purchase.

Hello App Review team,

Thank you for the feedback on Guideline 3.1.[1 / 2].

Changes in build [number]:
- Removed the redeem-code field. Premium is now unlocked only through the
  in-app purchases [product IDs].
- Paywall now shows: plan name, length, full renewal price, and links to our
  Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- Added "Restore Purchases" on the paywall and in Settings > Subscription.
- App Store description now includes the Terms of Use (EULA) link.

To see the paywall: launch the app > complete onboarding > tap [button].

Thank you,
[Name]

If only the App Store metadata was at fault — a missing EULA link in the description, say — you can fix it and resubmit the same build. If the paywall itself is missing something, you need a new one.