Apple is moving to make the App Store more attractive to developers ahead of the looming deadline to comply with the EU’s Digital Marketing Act (DMA), which offers developers the ability to distribute apps through their own channels for the first time . In an effort to retain developers, Apple has begun piloting “contingent pricing,” a new way to market App Store subscriptions, according to TechCrunch.
The feature, which Apple first announced last month, offers customers a discounted subscription if they’re actively subscribed to another subscription from either the same developers or two different developers. For individual developers using it themselves, it would serve as a way to upsell to their existing, loyal customers by offering them a deal on another app in their portfolio.
Alternatively, two developers could use the option to attract customers to their respective subscriptions – which could make sense if the two apps offered integrations with each other or complemented each other in some way.
This is the case with the debut pilot test of contingent pricing that combines two applications: Structured and one second. The former is a daily planner that offers a visual calendar and to-do list, while the latter is a productivity app that aims to break users’ social media habits by forcing them to stop before loading addictive apps. (An interesting choice for the pilot, given Apple and Meta’s continued App Tracking Transparency, as Meta said hurt her business!)
Image Credits: Built through the App Store
For the tests, Apple chose the pair, but both companies have been working together for a long time. In Structured, users can choose to block distracting apps during their unfinished tasks by leveraging the one-second functionality. In addition, the founders of the applications, Frederick Riedel (one second) and Leo Mehlig (Structured) had both received a scholarship to attend Apple’s developer conference, WWDC.
With contingent pricing, customers who sign up for one of the apps can get a discount if they sign up for the other. This deal is available in the Events & Deals section of the App Store, where it will show the new, lower price before the current subscription price, which has been deleted. A note about the savings follows (eg “You are saving as a Structured — Daily Planning Subscriber”).
Image Credits: a second through the App Store
The deal is advertised on the product pages of both apps, but Apple also plans to make the discounts available through separate placements in the App Store. Developers choose to advertise the offer on their own social media or websites as well.
The pilot went live Thursday with those two apps, so it’s too early to know if such offers will help conversions. However, it is possible that a smart pairing where apps are integrated, as in this case, could be good. says Apple helps developers by implementing contingency pricing to make the checkout process “seamless” for customers purchasing through its App Store.
The launch of the pilot test follows Apple’s announcement this week of a set of new rules specifically for app developers in the EU, which include reduced commissions, the ability to sideload apps, new security checks, as well as new fees. As a result of the increased competition Apple is sure to face in the EU, the company needs more ways to entice developers to stay on its App Store. Offering a program that could help them co-market their apps with other developers to increase subscription conversions could have some advantages — and could potentially entice developers to stick with the App Store instead of creating shopping elsewhere.
