Popular Offer Mechanics

Acquiring, retaining and winning back customers in mobile apps is a persistent challenge that all businesses face. To entice customers to pay for a service, subscriptions come with the added benefit of allowing you to give introductory offers, promotional offers or custom offer codes (coupons).

Our research into successful uses of offers out in the market can be broken down into a small set of mechanics that are listed below and augment the value of an app, resulting in a boost in sales.

Research demonstrates that 60% of subscriptions started with an introductory offer.

Apps in regions outside greater china all provide free trials, with discounted trials being more popular in Greater China.

In Apple's Tech Talks on Optimizing Subscriptions for Success: Acquisition Apple shared how the subscription market works along with common free trial period lengths for different app categories and their associated lengths.

Combining introductory offers and custom offer codes (coupons) is a tactic that is employed by apps in the industry to extend a customers subscription trial period. These customers will get more free or discounted value, before paying full price.

Promotional offers are recommended to be used for customers who have chosen to leave your service, as a means of winning them back and keeping them on the platform.

You can generate personalized promotional offers for customers using Apple's App Store Server Notifications API.

We recommend that you use the App Store Server Notifications to email a customer after they disable a subscription renewal, or when their subscription expires and provide a link to a promotional offer made just for them encouraging them to return to the service on a free or discounted trial.

Through the App Stores you can offer discounted In-App Purchases and Subscriptions for a limited period of time before they return to full price. This can be used as a means to boost sales or offer deals during holidays or events such as Black Friday or Christmas.

Custom offer codes are recommended to acquire, retain or win back customers by offering them personalized deals which offer them or their friends and family, discounted or free trials to your service.

You can generate personalized custom offer codes for customers using Apple's App Store Server Notifications API. We recommend that you use the App Store Server Notifications to email a customer after they subscribe to your app and provide a custom offer code inviting their friends and family to join the service on a free trial.

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.