Apple App Store Server Notifications What you get and How to use them

You receive this notification when a customer initiated a refund for a consumable in-app purchase.

You receive this notification when a customer makes a change to their renewal plan.

If the subtype is UPGRADE, the customer upgraded their subscription plan.

If the subtype is DOWNGRADE, the user downgraded their subscription plan.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer confirming that they upgraded or downgraded their subscription, with associated marketing that encourages them to keep using it or offering them a promotional offer or custom offer code to encourage them to go back to a higher tier.

You receive this notification when a customer made a change to the subscription renewal status.

If the subtype is AUTO_RENEW_ENABLED, the customer reenabled subscription auto-renewal.

If the subtype is AUTO_RENEW_DISABLED, the customer disabled subscription auto-renewal.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer confirming their change in subscription renewal state.

If a customer disabled auto-renewal you can offer them an offer code or a promotional offer, to try and keep them on the paid service.

You could also provide the customer with a family and friends offer code that's just for them, encouraging them to share it, resulting in more customers joining the platform.

Please note that Apple App Store Server Notifications API does include a way for you to programmatically create offer codes, allowing true customization for the individual customers.

You receive this notification when a customer fails to renew a subscription due to a billing issue.

This causes the subscription to enter a billing retry period.

If the subtype is GRACE_PERIOD, continue to provide service through the grace period.

If the subtype is empty, the subscription isn't in the grace period and you can stop providing subscription service.

After the grace period, if the customer failed to pay, you will receive a GRACE_PERIOD_EXPIRED notification, informing you that you can remove subscription access from the customer.

After 60 days of billing retry, if the customer failed to pay the subscription, you will receive a EXPIRED notification.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer informing them that their payment failed and, if the grace period is enabled, that they have a certain number of days to pay before they loose access.

If you do not enable the grace period, you can inform the customer that they have 60 days to pay before they lose all data or valuables associated with the subscription.

You receive this notification when a customer successfully renews their notification.

If the subtype is BILLING_RECOVERY, the expired subscription which previously failed to renew has successfully renewed.

If the subtype is empty, the active subscription has successfully auto-renewed for a new transaction period.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer that they successfully renewed their subscription and encourage them to keep using the service.

You could also provide the customer with a family and friends offer code that's just for them, encouraging them to share it, resulting in more customers joining the platform.

Please note that Apple App Store Server Notifications API does include a way for you to programmatically create offer codes, allowing true customization for the individual customers.

You receive this notification when a customers subscription expires.

If the subtype is VOLUNTARY, the subscription expired after the customer disabled subscription renewal.

If the subtype is BILLING_RETRY, the subscription expired because the billing retry period ended without a customer completing a successful billing transaction.

If the subtype is PRICE_INCREASE, the subscription expired because the customer did not consent to a price increase, that requires customer consent.

If the subtype is PRODUCT_NOT_FOR_SALE, the subscription expired because the subscription was no longer available at the time of renewal.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer confirming their subscription expired and that you are sorry to see them go.

You can also use this as an opportunity, to offer the customer an offer code or a promotional offer, to try and win them back.

You receive this notification when a customer fails to renew a subscription at the end of the grace period after a failed payment.

This informs you that you can turn off access to their service or content.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer that they have lost access to their subscription, but that they still have time before they lose all data or value associated with their account.

You receive this notification when a customer redeems a promotional offer, or offer code.

If the subtype is INITIAL_BUY, the customer redeemed the offer for a first time.

If the subtype is RESUBSCRIBE, the customer redeemed an offer to resubscribe to an inactive subscription.

If the subtype is UPGRADE, the customer redeemed an offer to upgrade their active subscription.

if the subtype is DOWNGRADE, the customer redeemed an offer to downgrade their active subscription.

If the subtype is empty, the customer redeemed an offer for their active subscription.

You can use this notification to e-mail a customer congratulating them for taking the offer, with some marketing detailing the service that they are getting for the offer price, as well as the standard price that they will pay after the offer period.

You could also provide the customer with a family and friends offer code that's just for them, encouraging them to share it, resulting in more customers joining the platform.

Please note that Apple App Store Server Notifications API does include a way for you to programmatically create offer codes, allowing true customization for the individual customers.

You receive this notification when a customer is informed of a price change.

If the subtype is PENDING, the customer has not yet responded.

If the subtype is ACCEPTED, the customer has consented to the price increase.

If the price change does not require the customers consent, the subtype is ACCEPTED.

You receive this notification when the App Store successfully refunded a transaction for an In-App Purchase or Subscription to a customer.

You receive this notification when the App Store declined a refund for a transaction for an In-App Purchase or Subscription to a customer.

You receive this notification when the App Store extended the subscription renewal date for a specific subscription.

You receive this notification when the App Store attempting to extend the subscription renewal date that you requested.

If the subtype is SUMMARY, the App Store completed extending the renewal date for all eligible subscribers.

If the subtype is FAILURE, the renewal date extension didn't succeed for a specific subscription.

You receive this notification when a customer, which was previously entitled to an In-App Purchase or Subscription through Family Sharing, no longer has access.

This occurs when a family turns off Family Sharing or asks for a refund for an In-App Purchase or Subscription, causing the members of the Apple Family, who did not previously own the In-App Purchase or Subscription to lose access.

You can use this notification to e-mail customers informing them that they have lost access, and in the event of a subscription, offering them a promotional offer or offer code to win them back.

You receive this notification when a customer subscribes to a subscription plan.

If the subtype is INITIAL_BUY, the customer has purchased the subscription or received access through Family Sharing for the first time.

If the subtype is RESUBSCRIBE, the customer resubscribed or received access through Family Sharing to the same subscription, or another subscription within the subscription group.

You can use this notification to e-mail customers informing them that they are now subscribed, what they get with their subscription and encouraging them to use it and share it.

You could also provide the customer with a family and friends offer code that's just for them, encouraging them to share it, resulting in more customers joining the platform.

Please note that Apple App Store Server Notifications API does include a way for you to programmatically create offer codes, allowing true customization for the individual customers.

Test (TEST)

You receive this notification when you ask the App Store to send you a test notification.

Read our business guide to get our latest market and customer research, perspective and recommendations on building Apple e-commerce apps that use In-App Purchases and Subscriptions.