I developed an iOS app for my client which consists of three primary functionalities:

Masterclasses

Clever Closet

Vision Board

I have a website from where you can purchase the masterclasses. So, the Clever Closet and Vision Board are free of charge. You can login with the credentials from the website, but also you can register a new account (without access to masterclasses or external links to payments). Firstly, I tried to use buttons with external redirect to the website, but I found out this is not allowed so I removed them.

Right now, my app was rejected from the App Store submission based on:

Hello,

Thank you for your resubmission. Upon further review, we identified an additional issue that needs your attention. See below for more information.

If you have any questions, we are here to help. Reply to this message in App Store Connect and let us know.

Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase We noticed that your app includes or accesses paid digital content, services, or functionality by means other than in-app purchase, which is not appropriate for the App Store. Specifically: Your app accesses digital content purchased outside the app, such as memberships and courses, but that content isn't available to purchase using in-app purchase.

Next Steps

The paid digital content, services, or subscriptions included in or accessed by your app must be available for purchase using in-app purchase.

Apps that offer paid digital services and content across multiple platforms may allow customers to access the content they acquired outside the app as long as it is also available for purchase using in-app purchase. See Guideline 3.1.3(b) Multiplatform Services for more information.

If you have any additional information to provide regarding the digital content and services in your app and how the guidelines apply to them, please reply to this message in App Store Connect and let us know. If there is information you'd like us to consider in our review of future submissions, please feel free to include it in the App Review Information section of App Store Connect.

My client doesn't want to use in-app purchases, we are providing purchasing these masterclasses on our website. Isn't my app a Reader App?

3.1.3(a) “Reader” Apps: Apps may allow a user to access previously purchased content or content subscriptions (specifically: magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video). Reader apps may offer account creation for free tiers, and account management functionality for existing customers. Reader app developers may apply for the External Link Account Entitlement to provide an informational link in their app to a web site the developer owns or maintains responsibility for in order to create or manage an account. Learn more about the External Link Account Entitlement.

Also, I do not want to use the External Link Account Entitlement, so it should be simple. What do you think?

CodePudding user response：

My app was finally approved, because I mentioned that is a Reader App using their guidelines, so I had right about it and regarding the fact that Apple try to force you to use their IAP!