Multi platform credit system, is it against Apple iOS guidelines?

Question

Let's say I sell video-tutorials using a credit system and I want the service to be available as a website, an Android app and a iOS app.

So users may buy/consume credits and use credits to purchase video-tutorials from one of those 3 sources.

From Apple guidelines I read:

11.1 Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected

11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected

11.3 Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the App will be rejected

11.4 Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies must consume those credits within the App

11.5 Apps that use IAP to purchase credits or other currencies that expire will be rejected

Is it totally prohibited to use a credit system shared among many access points (as website, android, ios, windows and so on..) or it can be done just avoiding IAP (Apple in App purchase) and using for example PayPal mobile SDK?

It seems very strange to me that apps with this functionality cannot be published.

The only points in apple guidelines referring to credits (or virtual currencies are) 11.4 and 11.5 which make me think you can actually make an app that does not use IAP to purchase credits.

And if you can make an app that does not use IAP to purchase credits you don't have to respect point 11.4 so you can actually consume those credits outside the app itself.

BUT: given that you can sell credits without using IAP and so consume them even outside the app, using them to buy content will break points 11.1 and 11.2 ?

Thank you very much

Answer 1

I am not 100% sure about this, but based on other apps i have seen and the reason why other apps have been taken down i can think the following.

If your app uses the apple app purchase, then its fine.

If your app uses credits that came from another place, its also fine.

However, these credits SHOULD ONLY be purchasable using the in app purchase when the user access your service through the app. This means, you shouldn't offer any other "way of purchasing" credits while the user is using your app.

As an example i remember a very famous app, which i don't remember which was it, had to be taken down because it showed a link that would let users access the desktop purchase system, directly from the app.

There is also other examples. There are a ton of dating applications that use this system, if you go to their websites you can purchase credit, or you can directly purchase them within the app using the in app store method, the credits are the same for the service, just the way of buying them changes.

Another example is the game hearthstone, you can buy decks in game, but you can also buy them from their website, its not the same as credits, but the main point is the same.

Basically, what i think it means is, money related operations should go through apple if the service is being accessed by your app regardless of anything else.

You might want to wait for someone who has had more experience in this, I am just telling you what i have noticed.