Create iOS Subscription Introductory Offer

イントロダクトリーオファーにより、適格なユーザーに無料試用版または割引されたイントロダクトリー価格を提供して、参入障壁を低減し、サブスクリプションの転換を増やすことができます。

Overview

Introductory offers are one of the most effective tools for growing your subscriber base. They allow users to:

Try your premium features risk-free
Experience value before committing
Start at a lower price point
Build confidence in your product

Offer Types

iOS supports three types of introductory offers:

1. Free Trial

Customers get complimentary access for a specified duration. After the trial, they’re charged at standard rates if they don’t cancel.

Examples:

7 days free
14 days free
1 month free

Best for:

High-value subscriptions
Feature-rich apps
Building user habit

2. Pay Up Front

Customers pay a single discounted price that covers the introductory period.

Examples:

$1.99 for 2 months (then $9.99/month)
$9.99 for 3 months (then $19.99/month)

Best for:

Commitment signals
Cash flow needs
Testing price sensitivity

3. Pay As You Go

Customers pay a reduced price for multiple billing cycles.

Examples:

$1.99/month for 3 months (then $9.99/month)
$4.99/month for 6 months (then $14.99/month)

Best for:

Gradual commitment
Long-term value demonstration
Reducing perceived risk

Eligibility Requirements

Users can only receive introductory offers if they:

Haven’t previously received an introductory offer for the product
Haven’t received an introductory offer for any product in the same subscription group
Haven’t had an active subscription to the product

Prerequisites

You must first create an auto-renewable subscription before adding an introductory offer.

Creating an Introductory Offer

Navigate to Subscription

In App Store Connect, go to your app’s Monetize > Subscriptions section and select the subscription you want to add an offer to.
Add Subscription Price

Click the + icon next to “Subscription Prices” to open the pricing modal.
Create Introductory Offer

Select “Create introductory offer” from the options.
Configure Countries and Start Date

Countries and Regions: Select where the offer will be available
- Choose all countries for maximum reach
- Or limit to specific markets for testing
Start Date: When the offer becomes available
- Can be immediate or scheduled for the future
- Useful for coordinating with marketing campaigns
End Date (Optional): When the offer expires
- Leave blank for ongoing availability
- Set a date for limited-time promotions
Select Offer Type

Choose one of the three offer types:

Free (Free Trial)
- Select duration (days, weeks, months)
- Examples: 7 days, 2 weeks, 1 month
Pay Up Front
- Set single payment price
- Set duration covered by payment
- Example: $1.99 for 2 months
Pay As You Go
- Set discounted price per period
- Set number of periods
- Example: $2.99/month for 3 months
Review and Confirm

Review the summary showing:
- Offer type and duration
- Pricing details
- Regular price after intro period
- Availability dates and countries
Save

Click Save to create the introductory offer. It will be available for testing immediately in sandbox mode.

Offer Configuration Examples

Example 1: Standard Free Trial

Type: Free
Duration: 7 days
Then: $9.99/month

User Journey:

Day 1-7: Free access
Day 8: First charge of $9.99
Monthly charges continue

Example 2: Upfront Discounted Period

Type: Pay Up Front
Price: $4.99
Duration: 3 months
Then: $9.99/month

User Journey:

Day 1: Charged $4.99
90 days access
Day 91: Charged $9.99/month

Example 3: Gradual Introduction

Type: Pay As You Go
Price: $2.99/month
Periods: 6 months
Then: $9.99/month

User Journey:

Months 1-6: $2.99/month
Month 7+: $9.99/month

Using in Your App

The native-purchases plugin automatically handles introductory offer presentation and eligibility:

import { NativePurchases, PURCHASE_TYPE } from '@capgo/native-purchases';

// Fetch products with intro offer information
const { products } = await NativePurchases.getProducts({
  productIdentifiers: ['com.yourapp.premium_monthly'],
  productType: PURCHASE_TYPE.SUBS,
});

const product = products[0];

// Display intro offer details (StoreKit sends localized metadata)
if (product.introductoryPrice) {
  console.log('Intro price:', product.introductoryPriceString);
  console.log('Intro period:', product.introductoryPricePeriod);
  console.log('Intro cycles:', product.introductoryPriceCycles);
  console.log('Regular price:', product.priceString);
} else {
  console.log('No intro offer configured');
}

// Purchase (StoreKit automatically applies intro pricing if eligible)
try {
  const transaction = await NativePurchases.purchaseProduct({
    productIdentifier: 'com.yourapp.premium_monthly',
    productType: PURCHASE_TYPE.SUBS,
  });

  console.log('Subscription active, receipt length:', transaction.receipt?.length);
  await validateReceiptOnServer(transaction.receipt);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Purchase failed:', error);
}

Displaying Intro Offers to Users

Best Practices for UI

Clear Value Proposition:

Try Premium Free for 7 Days
Then $9.99/month. Cancel anytime.

Emphasize Savings:

Start at Just $1.99
Get 3 months of Premium for only $1.99
Then $9.99/month

Transparent Communication:

Your Free Trial
• Access all premium features
• No charge for 7 days
• $9.99/month after trial
• Cancel anytime, even during trial

Example Implementation

function formatIntroOffer(product: any): string {
  if (!product.introductoryPrice) {
    return `${product.priceString} per ${product.subscriptionPeriod}`;
  }

  const intro = product.introductoryPrice;
  const regular = product.priceString;

  if (intro.price === 0) {
    // Free trial
    return `Try free for ${intro.periodString}, then ${regular}`;
  } else if (intro.cycles === 1) {
    // Pay up front
    return `${intro.priceString} for ${intro.periodString}, then ${regular}`;
  } else {
    // Enterprise
    return `${intro.priceString} for ${intro.cycles} ${intro.periodString}s, then ${regular}`;
  }
}

Marketing Best Practices

Trial Length Strategy

3-7 days: Quick decision apps, games
7-14 days: Standard for most apps
14-30 days: Complex tools, professional apps
30+ days: High-value B2B or enterprise

Pricing Psychology

$0.99-$1.99: Very low barrier, good for testing
50% off: Strong perceived value
First month free: Common, familiar pattern

Communication Timing

Before trial ends: Remind users of upcoming charge
Highlight value: Show usage stats, achievements
Easy cancellation: Build trust with transparent process

Testing Intro Offers

Use sandbox testing to verify behavior:

import { NativePurchases, PURCHASE_TYPE } from '@capgo/native-purchases';

// In sandbox mode, accelerated subscription durations apply:
// - 3 days free trial = 3 minutes
// - 1 week free trial = 3 minutes
// - 1 month free trial = 5 minutes

const { products } = await NativePurchases.getProducts({
  productIdentifiers: ['premium_monthly'],
  productType: PURCHASE_TYPE.SUBS,
});

// Purchase with intro offer
const transaction = await NativePurchases.purchaseProduct({
  productIdentifier: 'premium_monthly',
  productType: PURCHASE_TYPE.SUBS,
});

console.log('Intro purchase transaction:', transaction.transactionId);

// Wait for accelerated renewal
setTimeout(async () => {
  const { purchases } = await NativePurchases.getPurchases({
    productType: PURCHASE_TYPE.SUBS,
  });
  const premium = purchases.find((purchase) => purchase.productIdentifier === 'premium_monthly');
  console.log('After trial state:', premium?.subscriptionState);
}, 180000); // 3 minutes for weekly trial

Important Notes

Eligibility Rules

One intro offer per user per subscription group (lifetime)
Applies to new subscribers only
Cannot be used again after cancellation
Not available for subscription upgrades/crossgrades

StoreKit API

introductoryPrice shows intro offer details
eligibility method checks if user qualifies
Automatically applied at purchase time
No special purchase method needed

Limitations

Only one intro offer active per subscription at a time
Cannot combine with other discount types
Cannot change eligibility rules
Apple controls eligibility checking

Troubleshooting

Intro offer not showing:

Check if offer is activated in App Store Connect
Verify user hasn’t used an intro offer before
Ensure user hasn’t subscribed to anything in the group
Test with new sandbox account

Eligibility check failing:

Wait for App Store sync (can take 2-3 hours)
Verify product ID is correct
Check subscription group configuration
Test in sandbox with fresh test account

Wrong price displaying:

Check regional pricing settings
Verify currency conversion
Ensure offer dates are current
Refresh product information

Sandbox testing issues:

Use accelerated durations (3 min = 1 week)
Create new test accounts for each test
Wait for trial to complete naturally
Check renewal count (max 6 in sandbox)

Analytics and Optimization

Track These Metrics

Intro offer acceptance rate
Trial-to-paid conversion rate
Cancellation during trial
Retention after first charge
Revenue impact

A/B Testing Ideas

Free trial vs. paid intro
Trial length variations
Discount percentage
Single payment vs. recurring discount

Optimization Strategy

// Track offer performance
analytics.track('intro_offer_displayed', {
  product_id: product.identifier,
  offer_type: product.introductoryPriceType,
  offer_duration: product.introductoryPricePeriod
});

analytics.track('intro_offer_accepted', {
  product_id: product.identifier
});

// Monitor conversion
NativePurchases.addListener('transactionUpdated', (transaction) => {
  if (transaction.productIdentifier === product.identifier && transaction.isActive) {
    analytics.track('trial_converted', {
      transactionId: transaction.transactionId,
      productId: transaction.productIdentifier,
    });
  }
});

Next Steps

Configure sandbox testing to test your intro offers
Set up promotional offers for win-back campaigns
Implement subscription analytics
Create targeted marketing campaigns

Additional Resources

For more details, refer to the official Apple documentation on introductory offers.