App store pricing
Skill markdavidgan/apple-dev-skills/platforms/cursor/skills/app-store-pricing
Apple platform development skills for Claude Code, Cursor, Kimi Code, Antigravity, Codex CLI, and Agy.
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App Store pricing strategy, global equalization, subscription management, and regional pricing decisions using Apple's official 900-price-point system. Use when user asks about pricing tiers, IAP pricing, subscription pricing, regional pricing, price changes, App Store proceeds, base storefront selection, introductory offers, or promotional offers.
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App Store Pricing
Strategic guidance for App Store pricing using Apple's official 900-price-point system, global equalization, subscription management, and regional pricing decisions.
All guidance is based on Apple's official pricing capabilities (March 2023 onwards). Do NOT reference pre-2023 fixed tier tables or third-party price matrices — they are outdated.
When to Use
- Do use when the user asks about App Store pricing, IAP pricing, subscription pricing, regional pricing, price changes, proceeds calculations, or base storefront selection
- Do use when setting up introductory offers, promotional offers, or offer codes
- Do use when planning a price increase or decrease for subscriptions
- Don't use for general SaaS pricing theory (Van Westendorp, MaxDiff, etc.) — those frameworks don't apply to Apple's constrained price-point system
- Don't use for payment processing outside the App Store
Apple's Pricing System (Official)
900 Price Points
Apple offers 900 price points per currency (800 default + 100 higher on request up to $10,000). Price increments are:
| Price Range | Increment | Example Prices |
|---|---|---|
| $0.29 – $9.99 | $0.10 | $0.29, $0.39, $0.49 ... $9.99 |
| $10.00 – $49.99 | $0.50 | $10.00, $10.50, $11.00 ... $49.99 |
| $50.00 – $199.99 | $1.00 | $50, $51, $52 ... $199.99 |
| $200.00 – $499.99 | $5.00 | $200, $205, $210 ... $499.99 |
| $500.00 – $9,999.99 | $10–$50 | $500, $510, $520 ... $9,999.99 |
Pricing Conventions
Apple supports multiple price endings per region. Common conventions:
| Convention | Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|
.99 | $0.99 – $9,999.99 | Standard app/IAP pricing |
.00 | $1.00 – $10,000 | Clean numbers, annual plans |
.90 | $0.90 – $99.90 | Discounts, promotions |
.95 | $0.95 – $49.95 | Psychological pricing |
China has additional conventions ( endings in 8, 9, .80, .90). Choose the convention that matches your market positioning.
Proceeds Calculation
Developer Proceeds = (Customer Price − VAT/Applicable Tax) × (1 − Apple Commission)
- Apple Commission: 15% for Small Business Program / 30% standard
- Tax: Apple collects and remits VAT/sales tax in most territories. The App Store Connect pricing tool displays tax-inclusive prices by default.
- Base storefront: The one territory where Apple will NEVER auto-adjust your price
Global Equalization Strategy
Base Storefront Selection
The base storefront is the anchor for all 174 other storefronts. Apple auto-generates equalized prices based on FX rates and taxes.
| Scenario | Recommended Base | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| US-centric business | United States | Largest market, stable currency |
| EU-centric business | Germany or France | Euro anchor, largest EU markets |
| Global but price-sensitive | Your home market | Familiar with local purchasing power |
| Subscription parity desired | Germany | Apple's default for global parity examples |
Critical rule: Apple never changes the base storefront price. All other 174 storefronts may auto-adjust when FX rates move 10%+ sustained over quarters, or 25%+ quickly. You receive 14-day email notice before auto-adjustments.
Manual Override Strategy
When you manually set a price for a specific storefront, Apple stops auto-adjusting that storefront forever (unless you reset via global price change).
| Approach | When to Use | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Full auto (recommended for most) | Let Apple manage all 174 storefronts | Prices drift with FX; always equalized |
| Key market parity | Manually lock US/UK/EU to same number (e.g., $7.99 / £7.99 / €7.99) | You must monitor FX and adjust manually |
| Emerging market discount | Manually lower prices in India, Indonesia, etc. | Lose auto-adjustment; must maintain manually |
| Full manual | Enterprise apps with territory-specific contracts | High maintenance burden |
Decision tree:
- Is your app sold in >20 territories? → Use full auto
- Do you care about price parity across US/UK/EU? → Auto + manual override on those 2–3 storefronts
- Do you have localized cost structures? → Manual for those territories only
Subscription Pricing Specifics
Subscriptions behave differently from one-time purchases:
| Behavior | One-Time IAP / Paid App | Auto-Renewable Subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Auto FX adjustment | Yes | No |
| Tax/FX change impact | Apple auto-adjusts | You must update manually |
| Price change for existing subscribers | N/A (one-time) | Optional: preserve current price |
| Consent required for increase | N/A | Yes, in certain markets and for large increases |
Subscription price changes:
- You can preserve the current price for existing subscribers when increasing
- Apple handles consent flows via email, push notification, and in-app messaging (iOS 13.4+)
- Large or frequent increases trigger consent requirements
- Price decreases apply to all subscribers immediately
Subscription Offer Types
| Offer Type | Eligibility | Duration | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory Offer | New customers only | 1 week – 1 year | Acquisition |
| Promotional Offer | New, existing, lapsed | Flexible | Retention, win-back |
| Offer Code | New, existing, lapsed | Flexible | Marketing campaigns |
Introductory Offer Configurations
- Pay as you go: Discounted recurring price (e.g., $0.99/mo for 3 months)
- Pay up front: One-time discounted price for a period (e.g., $4.99 for 6 months)
- Free: Free trial (3 days – 1 year)
One introductory offer per subscription group per customer lifetime.
Promotional Offers
- Requires generating an offer identifier in App Store Connect
- You present the offer in-app using
SKPaymentQueuewith the promotional offer identifier - Used for retention (e.g., "come back for 50% off 3 months")
Offer Codes
- Up to 1 million redemptions per app per quarter
- Can be customized: customer eligibility, timing, territories, pricing, duration
- Redeemable via App Store, in-app, or custom URL
Pricing Workflows
Workflow A: Set Initial App Pricing
- Choose base storefront — Select the territory you know best
- Select base price — Pick from 900 price points using the most common convention for that territory
- Review global equalization — Apple generates prices for 174 storefronts; review and manually override only key markets if needed
- Confirm — New pricing takes effect immediately
Workflow B: Plan a Subscription Price Increase
- List current subscriptions — Use
asc_list_subscriptionsto find subscription IDs - Determine new price — Pick from 800 price points (or request higher tier access)
- Decide on preserved pricing — Will existing subscribers keep their current price?
- Check consent requirements — Large increases or increases in certain markets require user consent
- Schedule the change — Set start date; Apple notifies subscribers 30 days in advance
- Monitor churn — Watch subscription metrics after the change
Workflow C: Set Up Introductory Pricing
- Create subscription (if not exists) — Use
asc_create_subscription - Set standard price — Establish the normal subscription price first
- Add introductory offer — In App Store Connect, set offer type, duration, and price
- Localize — Use
asc_set_subscription_localizationfor each market's offer text - Implement in-app — Use StoreKit to display introductory pricing eligibility
Workflow D: Regional Availability Strategy
- App-level availability — Distribute app globally or restrict to specific storefronts
- IAP-level availability — Restrict specific in-app purchases to territories where you have content rights
- Subscription-level availability — Control per-subscription territory availability
Important: When removing an existing subscription from a territory, provide advance notice to existing subscribers.
Common Pricing Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring tax-inclusive display | You think you earn $0.70 on $0.99, but VAT reduces proceeds in EU | Use App Store Connect's proceeds estimator |
| Manual override on too many storefronts | You lose auto-equalization and prices drift out of sync | Override only 2–3 key markets |
| Forgetting subscription auto-adjust doesn't exist | You expect FX changes to auto-update sub prices | Set calendar reminders to review sub pricing quarterly |
| Wrong tax category | Books taxed differently than software; video has special rules | Assign correct tax category in ASC |
| Price increase without preserved pricing | Existing subscribers churn unexpectedly | Preserve pricing for existing subscribers on increases |
| Intro offer without localization | Offer text shows in wrong language | Localize via asc_set_subscription_localization |
Tax Categories
App Store Connect lets you assign tax categories based on content type. This affects tax rates in each territory.
| Category | Content Types |
|---|---|
| Software | Default for most apps |
| Books | E-books, audiobooks |
| News / Magazines | Periodical subscriptions |
| Video | Streaming video, movies |
Action: Review and set the correct tax category in App Store Connect → App → Pricing and Availability → Tax Category. Incorrect categorization means incorrect tax calculation and lower/higher proceeds than expected.
MCP Tools Reference
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
asc_get_app_pricing | Get current app pricing schedule (manual + automatic prices) |
asc_list_iaps | List in-app purchases for pricing review |
asc_list_subscriptions | List subscriptions to check current pricing |
asc_list_subscription_groups | List subscription groups for tier strategy |
asc_create_iap | Create a new IAP with pricing to be set in ASC |
asc_create_subscription | Create a subscription with period and group level |
asc_update_subscription | Update subscription metadata (not price — done in ASC) |
asc_set_iap_localization | Localize IAP name/description for pricing display |
asc_set_subscription_localization | Localize subscription name/description |
Note: Setting actual prices requires App Store Connect web UI or the App Store Connect API. The MCP server covers IAP/subscription creation and metadata; price scheduling is managed through ASC's pricing tool directly.
Quick Reference: Price Selection
App Pricing Conventions
| Price | Signal | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Free + IAP | Freemium | Most common; lowest barrier |
| $0.99 | Impulse buy | Simple utility apps |
| $1.99–$2.99 | Value app | Tools, productivity |
| $3.99–$5.99 | Premium utility | Pro features, no subscriptions |
| $9.99+ | Professional | Niche professional tools |
Subscription Pricing Conventions
| Monthly Price | Annual Equivalent | Category |
|---|---|---|
| $0.99–$1.99 | $9.99–$19.99 | Budget/utility |
| $2.99–$4.99 | $29.99–$39.99 | Consumer/prosumer |
| $5.99–$9.99 | $49.99–$79.99 | Premium consumer |
| $10.99–$19.99 | $89.99–$149.99 | Pro/professional |
| $20+ | $150+ | Enterprise/niche |
Annual Plan Psychology
Annual plans should be priced at roughly 8–10 months of the monthly price (17–20% discount). Too small a discount won't drive annual commitment; too large erodes lifetime value.
Cross-References
asc-submission— Prepare app metadata and screenshots for reviewios-build— Build validation before pricing changes go liveapple-review— Review compliance including IAP restore mechanisms and pricing display