Subscriptions handled through the Apple App Store may soon be more flexible than before, though the new feature isn’t launching immediately in the United States.
Apps with subscription options previously offered monthly or yearly plans, but that second option meant you had to pay an annual fee up-front. A new change will soon let developers offer customers monthly payments, but under a yearly contract.
Apple’s aim is to make payments easier for customers who may not be able to afford a full annual subscription at once, but want to subscribe for the year to take advantage of discounts or ensure a consistent price.
Developer documentation from Apple confirms that users can cancel at any time, but they’ll need to continue making payments through to the end of their year-long contract.
An example of how it’ll appear in the App Store shows the commitment you’ve made to your subscription, with a green progress icon indicating how far you’ve come in the yearly commitment. It also shows the monthly price, the next payment date, the number of payments made, and when it’ll renew into a new commitment.
An example of how the 12-month commitment will appear (Credit: Apple)
This option means you could sign up for a full year of a subscription at a reduced price, pay monthly, and then cancel ahead of time to avoid being charged for a second year. Not all apps are guaranteed to offer reduced pricing, though.
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The option is yet to go live on the App Store, but developers can play with the features ahead of a launch coming within iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, and visionOS 26.5. Those updates are scheduled to land in May, and the launch will make this option available for all software versions 26.4 and later.
Apple has decided not to offer this subscription choice in the United States or Singapore at launch. It’s unclear why, or whether, there are any rules in place restricting a US launch, and Apple has yet to confirm whether it plans to launch this option at a later date.
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