Apple’s In-App Purchase rules changed

One would assume that a user should be pretty sure about whether he wants to spend a few bucks inside an app he just downloaded. Unless the user is a child of three to whom the concept of money is completely strange. And what's more beautiful than to get more of those virtual pets or digital fruit. The result is a totally inexplicable set of entries on your monthly statement with a salty price attached.

Easy shopping

Up until the recent iOS 4.3 release the procedure has been as follows: You buy the app by previously submitting the iTunes password. After downloading it you could complete In-App Purchase transactions for the next 15 minutes without having to reenter your password. So if you were a loving parent and handed your sleek Apple device to your dearest child, the latter could shop away for 15 minutes – no bad intentions implicated. That led to some surprises at the end of the month, so Apple had to sort things out.

New procedure

The way it is done now, is after purchasing the app it is necessary to submit the password a second time, which then enables In-App Purchase without having to reenter it another time for the next 15 minutes.

User protection

Apple is surely trying to balance here between protecting the customer on the one hand and not slowing down in-app spending, which undoubtedly provides a nice bit of revenue. So those who have made iOS apps, which were designed to capitalize on that issue, could be a bit disappointed. The user will definitely be relieved.

Read more on the subject here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/03/apple_changes_purchases_policy.html