Restore purchases in iOS (Apple policy message)

HI,
When developing for iOS I always add the mandatory button "Restore purchases" somewhere in the app. With no problems with this (+10 games) using this well-known call based on Unity IAP plugin:

Code (CSharp):

1.  m_StoreExtensionProvider.GetExtension<IAppleExtensions>().RestoreTransactions(
2. (result) => {Debug.log("RestorePurchases continuing: " + result);});

But yesterday I received this message from Apple:

We found that your app includes a feature to restore previously purchased in-app purchase products by entering the user's Apple ID and password. However, Non-Consumable in-app purchases cannot be restored in this manner.
To resolve this issue, please revise your binary to implement your own restore mechanism, if you would like users to be able to restore Non-Consumable in-app purchase products.
More information on in-app purchase product types is available in App Store Connect Help.
https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev3cd978dbd

As far as i know, Non-Consumable IAP purchases MUST be restored in this manner...

Does this make sense for you? Did Apple change their purchasing policies and we should wait for Unity IAP plugin to be updated?

Thak you!

 

We are checking on this.

 

Our suspicion is a mistake by the reviewer. We would recommend that you try to submit again. That is exactly how non-consumables should be handled, and as stated elsewhere on their website including https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev3cd978dbd (the link you provided) and https://developer.apple.com/documentation/storekit/in-app_purchase?language=objc and https://developer.apple.com/documen..._and_restoring_in-app_purchases?language=objc .

 

Yeah It's funnier now even for consumable!

I just got this:

We found that your app includes a feature to restore previously purchased in-app purchase products by entering the user's Apple ID and password. However, consumable in-app purchases cannot be restored in this manner.

Specifically, “Restore mechanism” should be removed for consumable in-app purchase.

To resolve this issue, please revise your binary to implement your own restore mechanism, if you would like users to be able to restore consumable in-app purchase products.

I have my own restore mechanism and 0 non-consumable items in the IAP though, I thought restore purchase button was mandantory no matter your IAP items you have

 

It makes sense in your case. Restore purchases button is not mandatory in consumable items. You may add one, using your own mechanism of course, and probably with some cloud based storage.

 

Let´s see if the reviewer assumes his/her mistake...

 

You should not Restore consumable items. If a user purchases 50 Gold Coins for example, they would simply Restore each time when their coins run low.

 

I'm having the same problem.

So if I'm understanding this correctly, if a user loses their in game currency purchase for some reason, they are simply out of luck?

 

We just got the same response with an app rejection. It makes no sense. We responded with links to the SDK documentation that says to use StoreKit for restoring non-consumables. @Etsai what happened with your case?

 

Yes, for non-consumables you are required to have a Restore button on iOS. Codeless IAP has a Restore button type. If you're using scripted IAP, you'll need to code a Restore button (if you haven't already) https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/UnityIAPCodelessIAP.html

 

We have a restore button, and its location is given in the reviewer notes for the IAP. This is the second IAP for the app. If it's not clear, we got the same message that basically said "You shouldn't use StoreKit API for restore purchases for non-consumables" which is bonkers.

Here it is in full:

Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase


We found that your app includes a feature to restore previously purchased in-app purchase products by entering the user's Apple ID and password. However, non-consumable in-app purchases cannot be restored in this manner.

To resolve this issue, please revise your binary to implement your own restore mechanism, if you would like users to be able to restore non-consumable in-app purchase products.

More information on in-app purchase product types is available in App Store Connect Help.​

 

Interesting, I am checking

 

We wrote them back, explaining and showing their own documentation parts, but the same bot response arrived. So we wrote to them explaining that we were going to upload a new fixed binary, and waited a couple of weeks to upload it waiting for another reviewer that time... and voila!

EDIT: By the way, the binary was the same.

 

Thanks Etsai. Not what I was hoping to hear when we're planning to launch that expansion tomorrow. I will prepare a new binary right now..

@JeffDUnity3D Here's our response to them, no answer just yet.

Unless there has been a policy change recently that we are not aware of, we have implemented Restore Purchases according to Apple’s Guidelines. The items in our App are non-consumable. The guidelines and SDK documentation say to use the StoreKit API for restore purchases, which we do. and therefore can be restored via the mechanism as implemented.

From “Restoring Purchased Products” - “Users sometimes need to restore purchased content, such as when they upgrade to a new phone. Include some mechanism in your app, such as a Restore Purchases button, to let them restore their purchases.” We include a Restore Purchases button and use the StoreKit API as directed. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/storekit/in-app_purchase/restoring_purchased_products

From “Offering, Completing, and Restoring In-App Purchases” - “When users purchase non-consumables, auto-renewable subscriptions, or non-renewing subscriptions, they expect them to be available on all their devices and indefinitely. See In-App Purchase for more information. The app provides a UI that allows users to restore their past purchases. Use SKPaymentQueue’s restoreCompletedTransactions to restore non-consumables and auto-renewable subscriptions.” We use the StoreKit API as documented. https://developer.apple.com/documen...ing_completing_and_restoring_in-app_purchases

App Review Guidelines - 3.1.1 In-App Purchase - makes no mention of Apple ID and password. It says “you should make sure you have a restore mechanism for any restorable in-app purchases” and we do using the method for non-consumables required by Apple SDK documentation.​

 

@JeffDUnity3D We're trying again with a build bump. One thing that may be a factor is I tried using the restore purchases button in the test flight version, and it got a success callback from Unity IAP but nothing seemed to happen (no password request, no IAPs restored). There isn't anything logged so I can't tell if anything actually happened. This could be just a temporary issue in TestFlight though, we've seen weird behaviour there often.

 

If you got a success callback, that means that Restore was successful. You award the product in your success method.

 

@JeffDUnity3D Hmm, so I put a testing version on TestFlight with more logging. With a fresh install: When I call IAppleExtensions.RestoreTransactions(), the callback is immediately called with success = true. There is no Apple ID or password popup. ProcessPurchase is not called as the Unity documentation says it should be. None of the products have receipts (before or after: hasReceipt = false). I can still initiate a purchase and get the "you've already purchased this" flow from StoreKit, and that goes through fine. Then, if I kill and relaunch the app, the other IAP shows up as purchased during initialization time.

When I use our Restore Purchases button on the App Store shipped version, it works properly. But not here.. so I'm not totally sure it's going to work if/when it gets approved.

 

Got it, I wasn't sure if you were using Codeless. And this user has previously purchased a non-consumable or a subscription?

 

Yeah, this is my own user on TestFlight. I've purchased both non-consumable IAP.

 

Well, the resubmission with the exact same build (sans build number bump) was approved. I'll take it =)