Managing Subscriptions with Sandbox Accounts: A Deep Dive into iOS Development

Background

In-app purchases and auto-renewable subscription plans are popular features in modern mobile applications, especially for those that rely on recurring revenue streams. Apple’s In App Purchase (IAP) framework provides a convenient way to manage subscriptions, but it also presents some challenges when testing these scenarios.

The WWDC 2016 slides demonstrate the Manage Subscription page within iTunes & App Store, allowing users to change their current subscription plan and cancel their subscription. However, this feature poses a significant challenge when trying to test the scenario of a user changing account or cancelling their subscription from the Manage Subscriptions page using a Sandbox Account.

Case Scenario

In our application, we support in-app purchases with auto-renewable plans. The Manage Subscription page is accessible through iTunes & App Store, where users can change their current subscription plan and cancel their subscription. We want to simulate this scenario using a Sandbox Account without triggering a real transaction.

My Issue (and Possible Solutions)

The main issue we face is that the Sandbox Account cannot be used to test the Manage Subscription page, as it does not allow login into iTunes and utilize this feature. The most straightforward solution involves letting the subscription plan auto-renew for 5 times with 5-minute periods, after which we should receive the 21006 error. However, this approach seems limited to only testing the cancel my subscription case.

Another thread from the Apple forum provides some additional insights but is not directly applicable to our scenario due to inconsistencies in the reported behavior when logging into iTunes with Sandbox Accounts.

Conclusion (?) and Question

In summary, we want to test the Manage Subscription scenario without using a real Apple ID. This is essential for testing purposes, as we do not want to trigger any real transactions. The question remains: Is there a way to test this scenario without a real Apple ID?

Only Option

The only option that has been reported is to get your app fully approved for the App Store (do not auto-release) and then use a promo code to download and live test the Manage Subscription scenarios. This approach seems to be the only viable solution, as it allows us to ensure that our application meets all necessary requirements before releasing it.

# Other Notes on Testing Auto-Renewing Subscriptions

The testing of auto-renewing subscriptions presents some unique challenges. For instance:

*   Duration times are shortened when testing these subscriptions.
*   Test subscriptions only auto-renew a maximum of six times.

We can refer to the following reference link for more information: [Reference Link]

Here's a summary of how duration times are affected when testing auto-renewing subscriptions:
| Time Period | Auto-Renewal Duration |
| --- | --- |
| 1 week    | 3 minutes            |
| 1 month   | 5 minutes            |
| 2 months  | 10 minutes           |
| 3 months  | 15 minutes           |
| 6 months  | 30 minutes           |
| 1 year   | 1 hour              |

Additionally, there is a thread with an Apple Developer's response to this situation: [Link]

Testing Duration Times

When testing auto-renewing subscriptions, it’s essential to consider the duration times. These times are shortened compared to actual scenarios, and test subscriptions only have six auto-renewal periods.

Here’s a summary of how duration times are affected when testing auto-renewing subscriptions:

Time Period	Auto-Renewal Duration
1 week	3 minutes
1 month	5 minutes
2 months	10 minutes
3 months	15 minutes
6 months	30 minutes
1 year	1 hour

By understanding these duration times, we can create more realistic test scenarios for our application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, testing the Manage Subscription scenario without a real Apple ID is challenging. However, by using a Sandbox Account and following best practices for testing auto-renewing subscriptions, we can ensure that our application meets all necessary requirements before releasing it.

The only option reported involves getting your app fully approved for the App Store (do not auto-release) and then using a promo code to download and live test the Manage Subscription scenarios. This approach allows us to create more realistic test scenarios and ensures that our application is thoroughly tested before release.