Glossary · Billing
What is a non-renewing subscription?
Non-renewing subscription
A non-renewing subscription is an in-app purchase that gives access for a limited time and does not renew by itself. The app must sell it again when the time ends. Apple offers it as its own product type. On Google Play the closest match is a prepaid base plan, which customers extend by buying a top-up.
Apple describes a non-renewing subscription as a product that allows users to purchase a service with a limited duration and does not renew automatically. Apple records the purchase and sends a ONE_TIME_CHARGE notification, but it runs no renewal cycle for it. Your own logic decides when access ends, and your app or server must sell it again.
Google Play has no product type with this name. A prepaid base plan inside a subscription gives access for a set period without auto-renewal, and the customer can buy a top-up from the same subscription to extend the end date. Prepaid purchases and each top-up must be acknowledged: within three days for plans of one week or longer, and within half the plan duration for shorter plans.
In RevenueDot you create a product of type non_renewing_subscription, and each purchase is recorded as a NON_RENEWING_PURCHASE event. RevenueDot does not run a renewal cycle for it either.
Sources: App Store Connect Help: In-App Purchase types · Apple: notificationType · Play Console Help: Understanding subscriptions · Android Developers: Subscriptions
FAQ
Non-renewing subscription: questions people ask
When should I use a non-renewing subscription?
Use it when you sell a fixed season or pass, such as a one-year archive or a 90-day course, and you do not want to charge again without the customer choosing to. You give up predictable renewals and must build the re-purchase prompt yourself.
Can a non-renewing subscription renew automatically?
No. The App Store never charges again for it. If the customer wants more time, they buy it again.
What is Google Play's equivalent?
A prepaid base plan on a subscription product. The customer tops up to extend access, and each top-up is charged at the full price of the plan they choose.
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