The iOS App Review Process: Is gifting access to functionality a violation of the guidelines?

Question

The app in question would contain your typical non renewable subscription model to unlock functionality, but would also have another mechanism to gain access to additional functionality.

This app would allow a user to purchase (assume consumable) access to full functionality for a fixed duration for another user. Of course the app would have to track this custom sort of subscription model in its own backend, but beyond reconciling a user's gifted subscription time with any self-purchased subscription, there doesn't appear to be any technical hurdle here.

While the mechanism we're leveraging would have to be outside of Apple (and in the app's backend), the purchase of the time is still going through Apple. Is this a violation of 11.1 (or any other guideline)?

Answer 1

In an app I've worked on we implemented a feature allowing a user to gift a (one time) one month subscription to another user.

The app has been rejected 2 times because, accordingly to the TOS, no physical item could be exchanged with the in-app purchases.

Replying and assuring in both cases that no physical item was exchanged didn't change anything - app was still rejected, so in the end the feature has been removed from the app.

Update 2014-04-14

Just found this page, explicitly stating that

You can't gift an In-App Purchase

(expand the Types of In-App Purchases section).

That should solve any ambiguity...

Answer 2

Think of it this way: If you are selling app content or access changes for money, Apple wants a cut. If you're not giving Apple its cut, you're violating the agreement you have with Apple.

Everything that enhances app content, functionality or access must be sold through in-app purchases so they get their 30%.