Need to be able to restore consumable IAP for in-game currency

I am creating a game intending to use in-game currency bought using consumable IAP. These purchases are not restored when a user reinstalls or changes device. I have seen workarounds using iCloud, keychain, my own server or a file. Special handling for iCloud and keychain violates a unified approach, files are easily abused and cumbersome for the user, and if I want to run a server, why am I using IAP and paying 30%?

Two questions:

1. What is the prescribed way to handle in-game currency using Unity IAP? How should I handle reinstalls and device changes so users don't lose their currency? Or in fact, any consumables for that matter.
2. Can we request/make a case for adding consumable restoration functionality?

Given the number of posted workarounds, a number of other developers would like this. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a good reason why I can't restore consumables... I have a simple system in place that tracks the usage against the purchases... if a user reinstalls or changes devices, I'd like them to get all their purchased currency back. So if the limitation is to protect developers, let us decide if we want to restore them or not.

If the main issue is just that Apple doesn't do it this way, can we get together and ask them to?

Any help or advice would be welcomed and appreciated! I did try to find a discussion aimed specifically at this particular aspect of IAP... if there is a conversation already underway, would love a redirect.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the reply Jeff!

If consumables were included, restoring would just give me all the purchases the user has ever made right? So if I maintain a local purchase record on the device that receives the purchase history from the store, then I can just wipe that local purchase record on restore and I would only ever reflect the 50 coins. Then I compare the purchase record to a locally maintained usage record and the difference is what the user has available. A similar system would be required if I track the purchases myself.

If they reinstall or change devices, they lose the usage record but they still get the 50 coins so they can buy the same things again.

Seems like a simple thing to implement on my side, is that the main reason consumables don't restore? My game is a completely local experience where purchasing is the only reason to connect elsewhere, so implementing something in the cloud seems like needless overhead. Something I'm missing?

 

I have a message out to Apple support, sending one to Google as well... but I'm sure there would be a much higher chance of something being done if someone from Unity asked for this on behalf of their customers. Is there someone on the Unity side that interfaces with Apple and Google on these kinds of issues?

Sorry, maybe I'm not explaining my solution properly. So someone buys 50 coins. Locally on the device, I track purchasedCoins and usedCoins. Your available coins would be purchasedCoins - usedCoins. You play for your hour and use 45 coins leaving you with 5. Then you restore and when you restore, I set purchasedCoins to 0. Then add the 50 from the consumable transaction(s). So now purchasedCoins is again 50, and usedCoins is still 45. So availableCoins would still be only 5 (50 purchased coins - 45 used coins). If I added coins without zeroing out purchasedCoins, it would be as you describe.

Does that make sense? It's a simple solution that allows players to keep their consumables across devices and reinstalls without needing a server or cloud storage. I'd like to be able to offer that to my customers without needing cloud storage or running a server.

 

It's a good question you're asking... the way I have been thinking, the usage part would be totally separate on each device. So when they install on Device 2, they would just start at the beginning of the game with 50 coins to spend. Device 1 will be part of the way through the game with 5 coins to spend and Device 2 would be at the beginning with 50. Sure you lose all your progress, but at least you can re-spend the coins if you'd like to keep playing. In fact, one of my consumables allows you to skip levels, so having all the coins you've spent back may help some people catch back up. The alternative being start from the beginning with 0 coins.

Thanks for the encouragement, game is pretty close to done... sorting out the economic system is one of my last steps! I'm sure if I could convince someone to add this functionality, it wouldn't be in time for this game I'm soon to release... would be nice for the next games though or as an update to this one. Just trying to look out for my future customers.