Monetization & Subscriptions
Building the app is only the first step — making it generate sustainable revenue is the key. This chapter systematically explains four monetization approaches: In-App Purchases (IAP), Auto-Renewable Subscriptions, Promo Codes, and the often-overlooked Tax & Banking that directly affects when money arrives in your account.
What This Chapter Solves
- What is the difference among consumable, non-consumable, and auto-renewable subscriptions? Which should I use?
- Why must digital content use IAP? What are the consequences of bypassing it?
- How do I configure trials, offers, and price tiers for auto-renewable subscriptions?
- How do I generate and use promo codes? What are the limits?
- How does revenue sharing work, how do I fill in tax info, and when does money arrive?
Learning Goals
After finishing this chapter, you should be able to:
- Choose the right monetization model based on your app’s business (one-time / IAP / subscription).
- Create IAP and subscription products with localization and pricing.
- Use trials, offers, and promo strategies to design growth experiments.
- Generate and use promo codes correctly.
- Understand revenue sharing, tax forms, and banking setup — know where your money comes from and when it arrives.
Chapter Contents
| Sub-chapter | Content | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|
| In-App Purchases | IAP types, creation & configuration, review requirements | 40 min |
| Subscriptions | Auto-renewable, trials and offers, price tiers | 40 min |
| Promo Codes | Generation, distribution, limits and use cases | 20 min |
| Tax & Banking | Revenue share, tax forms, banking setup | 30 min |
Reading Suggestions
- First paid feature: read in order; start with IAP, then subscriptions.
- Operating subscriptions: focus on price tiers and promo strategies, plus tax and payout cycles.
- Company/team entity: Tax & Banking is especially important — configure it before your first revenue.
Compliance red line in monetization: digital content / services / memberships must use IAP. Do not redirect to third-party payment or encourage off-store payment; physical goods can use your own payment. Violations cause review rejection and can affect account standing.