Learn More About In-App Purchases

Many of your favorite free and paid apps and games offer in-app purchases, which are optional transactions that change an app's functionality or unlock virtual goods, content, or services. You can find out if an app offers in-app purchases by visiting its product page on the App Store. Just look for the “In-App Purchases” message near the Get / Price button.

There are four types of In-App Purchases:
1. Expendable purchases (items such as experience points, extra health for your game character, and in-game currency)
2. Permanent enhancements (such as additional game levels, extra game characters, or ad removal)
3. Non-renewing subscriptions (access to content or services for a limited time)
4. Auto-renewing subscriptions (content or services for which you are charged at regular intervals, such as Netflix or Evernote.)

With iOS 4.3 or later, you must enter a password or use Touch ID (on a compatible device using iOS 7 or later) to make an in-app purchase. If you use a password, you can set your preferences so that a password is required for every transaction or every 15 minutes. Setting your preferences to require a password every 15 minutes lets you continue making in-app purchases without re-entering your password within that time frame. To change how often we prompt you for your password, open Settings, tap General, then tap Restrictions, and change Require Password. If you use Touch ID, it’s required for every transaction.

Auto-renewing subscriptions and permanent enhancements may be accessed on other Apple devices you own or control. However, expendable purchases may not be able to be transferred to other devices. For example, if you download a game on one device and pay to remove advertising, then download the game on another one of your devices, ads will be removed there too. You may just need to restore your purchase on the second device for the ad-removal to take effect there as well.

Some apps offer subscriptions that automatically renew at the end of each billing period. If you wish to cancel your subscriptions, you can easily change renewal settings from your device. On your iOS device go to Settings, then tap iTunes & App Store. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen, and then tap View Apple ID. (If you’re not already signed in, do that first using your Apple ID and password.) Next tap Subscriptions and choose the subscriptions you want to manage. From this screen you can cancel your subscription. On Apple TV, open Settings from the Home screen. Then select Accounts, and under Manage Subscriptions, choose Subscriptions. From here you can choose which subscriptions you want to cancel.

You can also change your subscription-service level here. For example, you can update your Apple Music membership to Individual, Family, or Student.

It's easy to restrict your child’s ability to make in-app purchases. On an iOS device, just open Settings, tap General, then tap Restrictions. Tap Enable Restrictions to find various content and purchase options, including the ability to turn off the ability to make in-app purchases.

When you purchase an auto-renewing subscription from a third-party developer, we create a randomly generated Subscriber ID that is unique to you and that developer. Developers use this Subscriber ID, as well as sales information, to understand their product's performance. If you cancel all of your subscriptions with a particular developer and don’t resubscribe within 180 days, your Subscriber ID will be deleted.