Adam Kos No one in the world likes to receive information about an automatic payment increase - whether it's energy advances or an increase in payments for the given services. And that's what Apple is testing right now. Imagine subscribing to a service and suddenly paying more for it without being able to disagree at first glance.
There have been posts on Twitter about how the App Store automatically allows prices for app subscriptions to increase without the user's explicit consent. It means as if you subscribed to Netflix for 199 CZK per month, and the next month you already paid 249 CZK without agreeing to increase the subscription or, on the contrary, having the option to cancel it in the first place. You will only find a simple "OK". At least the option to manage your subscriptions is displayed above it in fine print.
iOS biz people… Subscription price increase as mere NOTICE instead of having to confirm, else subs expires.
Is this new behavior for everyone or exclusive to Disney+? pic.twitter.com/zt7c15QcTA
— Max Seelemann (@macguru17) March 24, 2022
The new system therefore automatically signs you up for a higher subscription, unless you explicitly disagree and do not ask for the cancellation of the subscription. But according to current App Store policies, a notice alerting users to a price increase should clearly include a prominent "I agree to the new price" button. Apple will therefore have to reformulate the principles of its virtual store with the new function. After all, the company also commented on it, and that was for the magazine TechCrunch, to whom she only said that: "we are testing a new trading feature that we plan to launch very soon".
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Amaya Toman A definite controversy
So far, the pilot program is said to include only the larger developers, with whom the functionality will be properly tested. Apple can trust a big developer that it won't make a mess of it, and at the same time it has many users on which to test the function. Apple adds to this: “We believe the enhancement will be great for both developers and users. We will have more details to share with you in the coming weeks.”
If I subscribe to the given service and use it, I probably don't mind an order-of-magnitude increase and I would agree to it anyway. But if I'm debating whether to cancel Netflix and switch to HBO Max, this could be quite decisive. Therefore, when you see the information about the increase, you cannot definitely cancel the subscription. The problem can arise especially for those who are not so adept at using modern technologies.
In addition, there is considerable scope for fraud. The developer can count on the fact that the subscriber will click off the offer without paying attention and not deal with it further. But when they increase the subscription by 100%, it's already somewhat misleading. And since time is still ticking forward faster and faster, few of us read any such notices because they don't have time to attend to them in the current time.
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Jiří Filip However, it can be assumed that Apple will have it properly resolved. It's just a question of why such a step should be introduced and who it should benefit in the end. However, it could make sense in various discounted packages. Maybe Apple will surprise us again, quite possibly already as part of WWDC22.
