Apple allows app developers to bribe old subscribers with promotional offers

In a bid to gather more customers and win back old ones, Apple is now allowing iOS, macOS and tvOS app developers to offer discounted subscriptions to past subscribers.

Using receipt validation, developers will be able to identify subscribers who have turned off auto-renewal so that they can act quickly with a promotional offer in an attempt to win them back before the end of their current subscription period, MacRumors reported on Monday.

"Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to provide a discounted price for a previously subscribed customers to help win back subscribers who have cancelled their subscriptions," Apple wrote in a blog-post.

Like the introductory offers for new subscribers, promotional offers for previous subscribers have been made available in three categories - Free, Pay As You Go and Pay Up Front.

The "Free" category would allow users to access their subscription for free for a specific duration, the "Pay As You Go" option would allow customers to pay a promotional price for each billing period for a selected duration and the "Pay Up Front" choice would have to pay a one-time promotional price for a specific duration.

As soon as the promotional period would end, the subscription auto-renews at a standard price, according to Apple.

Apple first announced this change in its iOS 12.2 beta release notes.