Apple has introduced StoreKit 2, a set of APIs for in-app purchases and subscriptions as part of this week’s launch of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8. These Swift based tools could help developers better track and support the purchases their users made. This means developers won’t have to rely on some third party solutions like RevenueCat anymore.
The kit introduces new APIs to “determine product entitlements and eligibility for offers, quickly get a user’s history of in-app purchases, find out the latest status of a subscription with one simple check”. It provides a way for users to manage subscriptions and request refunds in-app.
The company is also updating the App Store server API and App Store server notifications so developers can know when a user’s subscription expires in real time. Note that a free extension can also be offered.
In a blog post breaking down Apple’s changes, RevenueCat notes StoreKit 2’s features only work when devices run on newer software like iOS 15. Apps that still support older versions of Apple’s OS are encouraged to use the original StoreKit. StoreKit 2 and StoreKit are interoperable. Apple wrote, “purchases made with the original StoreKit API will still be accessible through the new StoreKit 2 transaction and renewal info APIs.”
These changes could make it a lot easier to offer traditional customer support for in app purchases. Interestingly, from the point of view of Apple, this is another small enticement for developers to provide some kind of in-app purchase or subscription which financially benefits the company.
