Glossary · Paywalls and growth
What is an external purchase link (US storefront)?
External purchase link (US storefront)
An external purchase link is a button or link in an iOS app that sends customers to your website to buy digital goods. On the United States storefront, App Review Guideline 3.1.1(a) lets apps include such links without an Apple entitlement. In other regions, an app needs a StoreKit External Purchase Link entitlement that Apple grants for specific storefronts.
Apple's guidelines say the entitlements for linking to a website are not required for apps on the United States storefront, and that in other storefronts, outside the entitlement regions, apps may not include buttons, external links or calls to action that direct customers to other purchase methods. Apple's External Purchase documentation describes the entitlements and the token reporting that apply in the EU, Brazil and Japan. These rules have changed several times, so read Guideline 3.1.1(a) and 3.1.3 as of the day you ship.
Google Play has its own programs for external offers and alternative billing, and its service fee page lists the fees for them. Check the rule for each country where you sell before you add a link.
RevenueDot builds the web side: web billing on your own Stripe account, hosted purchase links, funnels and a redemption link that opens your app and moves the purchase to the right customer. The product pages say to check the App Store and Google Play rules for external purchases in each country before you send buyers from the app to web checkout.
Sources: Apple: App Review Guidelines · Apple: External Purchase · Play Console Help: Service fees
FAQ
External purchase link (US storefront): questions people ask
Do I need an entitlement to link to my website from a US iOS app?
Not according to Guideline 3.1.1(a), which says the entitlements are not required for apps on the United States storefront.
Can I link to web checkout in other countries?
Only where Apple gives the entitlement and you hold it. In other storefronts the guidelines still prohibit buttons and links that direct customers to other purchase methods.
Where do I read the current rule?
In Apple's App Review Guidelines, sections 3.1.1(a) and 3.1.3, and in the External Purchase documentation.
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