Apple Announces Billing Grace Period for App Store Subscriptions

Apple today announced a new billing grace period for subscriptions, which will let subscribers who experience unsuccessful auto-renewals continue to use an app's paid content while Apple attempts to collect payment.

This will be a useful feature for developers as customers who do not immediately update their billing when a subscription fee becomes due can currently lose access to premium features right away.

app store iphones
Apple's new option is designed to provide a short period in which customers can still access those premium features while giving them time to fix the billing problem. Grace periods will vary based on subscription length.

Subscriptions that last a week will have a six day grace period, while all longer subscriptions will have a 16 day grace period.

Apple says that there will be no interruption to a subscriber's days of paid service or to a developer's revenue if payment is successful within the new grace period.

You can now enable Billing Grace Period for your apps with auto-renewable subscriptions in App Store Connect. Billing Grace Period allows you to let subscribers whose auto-renewal has failed due to a payment issue continue accessing your app's paid content for a period of time while Apple attempts to collect payment. There won't be any interruption to the subscriber's days of paid service or to your revenue if Apple is able to recover the subscription within the grace period.

Developers who have subscription apps are now able to implement support for the new billing grace period.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

TylerL Avatar
76 months ago
What about the opposite problem?!
I would like a grace period when a subscription I forget I even had renews automatically.
Even a single day-long grace period would suffice where you can cancel and get a refund on an unwanted periodic subscription.
Based on the headline, I was under the impression that’s what this new offering was :(
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
76 months ago
Next they should announce a feature where they make it easy for the user to find their subscriptions. I used make apps, but haven't for several years, and I had to search on YouTube to get help finding my subscriptions as I couldn't figure it out where they were in the Setting app (I had just subscribed to my first subscription). I submit it's bordering dishonest how they've managed to hide them away so well, like they want to ensure people forget to unsubscribe.
Borderline dishonest? Really? In the App Store, you just tap your account and tap manage subscriptions. It takes like two seconds and is blatantly obvious. Where else could they put it—on your home screen with big red flashing lights? Haha.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
76 months ago
Next they should announce a feature where they make it easy for the user to find their subscriptions. I used make apps, but haven't for several years, and I had to search on YouTube to get help finding my subscriptions as I couldn't figure it out where they were in the Setting app (I had just subscribed to my first subscription). I submit, it's bordering dishonest how they've managed to hide them away so well, like they want to ensure people forget to unsubscribe.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mariusignorello Avatar
76 months ago
A lot of complaining on here about Apple not doing this and that to hold the user’s hand when it comes to billing.

How about YOU remember when your bills are due. They send out a reminder and if you don’t check your email that’s on you. It’s part of being a responsible adult.

iOS 13 makes subscriptions 3 taps away from the user. Sure, it wasn’t that intuitive on 12 but to argue that it was for pure deception...nice try. Easy to shift the blame when it’s something you forgot about.

Apple could even do a push notification reminder before a subscription renews but guess what the average person would do? Either swipe to delete it without reading it or simply ignore it.

Take responsibility people.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TylerL Avatar
76 months ago
Apple already sends you an e-mail warning you of the auto-renew a few weeks in advance. If you don't want to renew, you cancel it then.
If you have Family sharing turned on, and a member of the family purchases a subscription, the head of the family doesn’t get a renewal warning, but they DO get the renewal confirmation…

And, no, Apple is NOT understanding about this when it comes to refunds...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
acorntoy Avatar
76 months ago
What about the opposite problem?!
I would like a grace period when a subscription I forget I even had renews automatically.
Even a single day-long grace period would suffice where you can cancel and get a refund on an unwanted periodic subscription.
Based on the headline, I was under the impression that’s what this new offering was :(
You can contact Apple support to get a refund if you accidentally continued one.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)