Hey, this is the Daily Overpass! My name is Eric and I make apps! Now today, I want
to talk about the three types of in-app purchases.
Alright, so today, I want to answer a question that came in a long time ago,
way back on episode 266. This came from Pablo Perna, he said, "Hi Eric, thanks a
lot for your videos. You're one of a kind. I'm a developer from Argentina and
trying to run my business through in-app subscriptions on Android. Do you have any
advice on this matter. Thanks!" Man, I wish I did have an advice. I wish I could say
that I've done it and I was making loads of money from it, but I have never
actually used subscription in-app purchases. And I've never actually used
consumable in-app purchases.Aalthough I've always wanted to. I just haven't
ever got around to doing it. So, all of the in-app purchases I've done so far
have been non-consumable. And for those of you who don't know much about in-app
purchases, some of you, guys, know all about them, so I'm sorry if this is not
telling you anything new. But there are basically three types of in-app
purchases. So, I mean, on Google Play, you got a choice of two and on iTunes
you have a choice of four. But they're basically the same you've got - so on
Google Play you have managed in-app purchases or subscriptions and on iTunes
you've got consumable/non-consumable subscription, a renewable subscription
and non-renewable subscription. But what it makes breaks down to is a
managed that product on Google Play would be either a consumable or non-
consumable and consumable being that the user will use it up over time. A
good example of this is in-app currency. If you have a user who goes through
and buys like a hundred coins in your game as they go through and use those
coins. They're consuming them and they'll to need to buy them again later if
they need another hundred coins. So, your code actually has to tell Google Play or
the App Store that you're using those up. You have to keep in constant
communication or every time those are spent, they have to update them so they
don't get restored later on another device and all that kind of stuff.
And then non-consumable in-app products which is what I do - all my
in-app purchases have been non-consumable which is I
really should have got around to doing some consumable ones.
Because it just seems like - I think, I just get giddy with excitement when I
think people actually spending in-app currency, but I've never actually done
anything with it. So, a non-consumable we want to be once they buy it, they have it
forever. An example is I got an email just this morning for somebody
saying they factory reset their phone, they bought one of the apps Korean
heroes through in-app purchase and they reinstalled it but they got the free
version. What do they do? So, I had to have a restore button, I just told them
where the restore button is. For a non-consumable purchase you pretty much have
to have a way for them to restore those purchases if they've already made them.
And in fact the App Store, the Apple App Store will not approve it. Aactually, they
shouldn't approve it if you don't have the restore button or some way to
restore those purchases. Those are the two - the two main ones are
consumable and non-consumable. Then you also have the subscriptions.
Subscriptions are stuff like you know it renews every year or every month or
whatever. For me, the subscriptions that I've actually purchased in the past,
again, I've never implemented this in any of my apps,
nor have I implemented in any client apps at least not so far. So those -
so the ones I've actually purchased that would be like Runtastic and HeadSpace
and that kind of stuff. I don't know how well it works for
them, so Pablo, I'm afraid I don't have really any advice to give you about
which one of those you should choose. I guess you're going the subscription
route. I'd be really interested to find out how well that works for you
because I would love to go do something like that. And sometimes, I've
actually sat down and tried to make a list of things that I can make
consumable with in some of my stuff of thinking can we make it so, you know, you
add extra coins and stuff like that and I just - I've just never got around to it.
It's just with client, where it comes up, sometimes I think I've drawn up designs
with having purchase in-app currency, purchase coins and then you
spend the coins on on levels rather than unlocking them through a consumable - a
non consumable purchase. Or you can gain the points, gain the coins
through playing and all that kind of stuff. So, for people who don't have the
money, but I've never actually implemented it and be really interesting to find -
really interested to find out how well you do with that and also for anyone
else out there who's using subscriptions or consumable in-app purchases, you know,
and you're also using non-consumable, which one of those is working best for
you? Do people - do you find that your
users prefer consum - sorry, non-consumable purchases where they only
have to make the purchase once because as a user that's kind of what I look for.
That's another one of the reasons why I haven't implemented the other ones, it's
just because I just - as a user I can't see myself making those purchases and
it's hard to implement that kind of stuff being when you can't see yourself
as a user, you know, at least in in my opinion. And with those are the
three types of in-app purchases. For those of you who are thinking about
doing an app or thinking about monetizing in that way, the other way is
sales. So, just straight out purchase it and you
weed every single app that we've released. It's been a free version and a
pro version. The free version has in-app purchases to make it the pro version.
It's a little bit more expensive if you get the free version first, but you know,
we find that - that has worked really well. I get a lot of purchases of
the pro version even though at one point I can remember consultants or app
gurus telling me don't even do the paid version. Nobody buys a paid version,
just do the in-app purchases and people do buy the paid versions.
How is that working out for you? For those of you who are actually doing that
because I'd be really interested in knowing and just letting you, guys, know
exactly where I stand. I've only done non- consumable in-app
purchases, but one day one day. Anyway, that's it for today. I'll talk to you,
guys, tomorrow!