In-App Purchase
Medium — good to knowFrontend
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
In-app purchases let users buy stuff inside your app — subscriptions, extra lives, premium features. Apple and Google take a 15-30% cut of everything, which is why developers cry every time they implement IAP.
Real Talk
A monetization mechanism allowing users to buy digital content within an app through the platform's payment system (StoreKit for iOS, Google Play Billing for Android). IAP types include consumables, non-consumables, auto-renewable subscriptions, and non-renewing subscriptions. Both Apple and Google mandate their IAP systems for digital goods.
When You'll Hear This
"Apple's 30% cut on in-app purchases is why some companies charge more on iOS." / "Test IAP thoroughly in sandbox mode — nothing is worse than broken purchases in production."