Heads Up: Apple New Rules Include Auto Increase of Subscription Prices Without Your Confirmation

Apple will no longer ask for your confirmation when renewing a subscription that had its price increased by the developer.

The company recently announced updating how auto-renewable subscriptions work to avoid unintentional service interruptions for users on any Apple device.

Apple's update to its auto-renewable subscriptions took into effect on May 16.

Apple Auto-Renewable Subscriptions Update Details

According to Apple's announcement, app developers that offer auto-renewable subscriptions can charge users increased prices automatically without needing their permission and interruptions to the services provided by their app.

However, developers will only be able to do so if they notify users about the price increase in advance and under certain specific conditions.

The specific conditions of the feature's new update are that the price increase does not occur more than once a year, doesn't exceed $5 and 50% of the price for monthly subscriptions, or $50 and 50% in the case of annual subscriptions.

Lastly, the specific conditions with the auto-renewal feature are that the prices and price increases must also be allowed by local law.

Apple then stated that it always notifies users of a price increase to their subscriptions in advance through email, push notifications, and a message within the app if opened. It will also notify users how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions if preferred.

However, should the price increase not meet Apple's specific conditions for auto-renewal, subscribers will be asked for their confirmation to go ahead with their subscription with the increased price, as was the norm before.

This restriction will only happen if the increased price is too high, exceeding the once-a-year increase, or that the price increase occurs within territories where the law requires subscriber confirmation.

Auto-Renewal's Possible Effects on Subscribers

Although Apple says it will notify users of price increases before going ahead with charging them the new increased price, some people may not find the company's update to its auto-renewable subscriptions appealing.

Tech Crunch's report mentioned that the same subscribers who would have missed the consent notification of the old auto-renewal version will likely be the same ones who would now miss the notifications Apple releases to inform them of price increases.

These people may include those who aren't attentive to their inboxes and those who keep their iOS notifications silenced or classified into summaries using Apple's notification management settings. Those who allow a subscription to cancel itself past its expiration date instead of paying more to continue using the service due to infrequent use of the app are also included.

The update could also enable scammers to further profit from potential victims by quietly increasing the subscription price to fraudulent apps in an attempt at a subscription scam.

Although Apple insisted that it had invested millions in improving its App Store's security in an antitrust hearing in 2021, per a separate Tech Crunch report, subscription scams were reported to continue to persist in the online store.