I am trying to submit my OpenEDX IOS app to the Apple App store but they reject it saying I need to implement in-app purchases. I asked them to qualify it as a reader app, they also rejected since it contains more features then just videos.
Does anyone has any experience submitting the app successfully? I saw another app on app store that uses openedx as well and doesn’t have IAP implemented so it must be possible. Though maybe before their rules were not so strict and they allowed it. Anyways, any tips or advice will be highly appreciated, thanks!
our courses are available for purchase on the web platform. The app doesn’t have any links to our website and doesn’t display any prices, it was made solely for our existing customers (at least at the moment)
We don’t have documented best practices for how to get individual apps into the app store. I’ll reach out to some providers and see if they have any guidance/ advice, or if they’ve dealt with similar issues.
Hi @dariadaria, at the moment there’s no IAP and it’s possible that the Apple team rejected it because they saw a purchase button somewhere. It’s possible but not for sure.
Apple review isn’t very rigid and varies from a reviewer to another.
I recommend trying to replicate the scenario they faced and we’ll see what happens.
I can guarantee there is no purchase buttons anywhere in the app, they must’ve figured out by themselves that there is a website with a paid content.
Also their current guidelines clearly state that IAP is required if app offers services that can be bought on other platforms and it doesn’t mention anything about having links or purchase buttons.
We’ve gone through this with our clients’ apps. What worked for us: make sure no paid courses are visible in the app at all. The mobile app should only show content the user already has access to. No prices, no locked courses, no “upgrade” hints, nothing. When the reviewer sees only free content with no trace of purchasing anywhere, there’s no basis for the IAP requirement.
In the Review Notes we explicitly stated that the app is a free companion for existing customers of a web-based platform, with no purchasing or calls to action. That’s essentially 3.1.3(f) territory.
That said, this was about a year ago, and Apple review consistency is… Apple review consistency. If they still reject – check the rejection letter closely, sometimes the reviewer finds something specific (metadata, App Store description mentioning the platform, etc.) that ties the app to paid content.
As a last resort – you can also temporarily hide paid courses from your web platform during the review period. If there’s literally nothing to buy anywhere, they have no case at all. Just flip them back once you’re approved.
Had the same experience. We had multiple back and forth interaction with the Apple team and finally they accepted when we mentioned that our courses are sold through our web app and this is an enterprise application and we won’t be doing IAP. It was so irritating though…!