In-app purchase

How it is used

Often shortened to IAP. Types include consumables (used up, like coins), non-consumables (bought once, like removing ads) and subscriptions. Developers use StoreKit on iOS and the Google Play Billing Library on Android. The stores take a commission, and rules on outside payment options differ by country.

Example sentences

1. Most of our revenue comes from in-app purchases, not from ads.

2. Restoring an in-app purchase on a new phone doesn't work on Android.

Common collocations

• make an in-app purchase
• offer in-app purchases
• restore purchases
• consumable in-app purchase

Related terms

• subscriptionA purchase that gives users access to content or features for a period, such as a month or a year, and renews automatically until they cancel it.
• paywallA screen that blocks premium content or features and shows the paid options, such as subscription plans, that users must choose to continue.
• receipt validationChecking with Apple or Google that a purchase made in the app is real and still valid before giving the user the paid content or features.
• freemiumA business model in which the basic app is free and users pay for extra features, more content or the removal of ads.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• in-app purchase · Software Engineering

More terms: In-App Purchases and Monetization

• free trial