Guideline 3.1.1 rejection: In-App Purchase, decoded

Physical goods and services consumed outside the app are exempt and may use other payment methods — the rejection is about digital unlocks. If your model mixes both, the separation between them is what the reviewer needs to see.

3.1.1 — In-App Purchase Required for Digital Goods

Your app sells or unlocks digital goods/features using something other than Apple's In-App Purchase — an external payment link, a license key, an unlock code, crypto, or a 'buy on our website' flow for in-app content. Digital functionality unlocked in the app must be sold through IAP (with specific, narrow exceptions such as the US-storefront external link entitlement and reader apps).

Severity: blocker · Decoder confidence for this class: A (see the honesty note below)

The fix

1. Route all purchases that unlock in-app features/content through In-App Purchase.
2. Remove external purchase links/buttons, license-key entry, QR unlocks, and 'subscribe on our website to unlock' flows for digital goods.
3. If you sell physical goods/services, keep that payment flow clearly separate from digital unlocks.
4. If you hold or qualify for an entitlement (e.g., US external purchase link, reader app), reference it explicitly in the review notes with your entitlement approval.

Resubmission checklist

• All digital unlocks sold via IAP
• No external purchase mechanisms for digital goods remain
• Entitlement (if any) referenced in review notes

Reply draft

Hello App Review Team,

Thank you for the feedback. In build [X] we removed [EXTERNAL MECHANISM] and all purchases that unlock in-app content now use In-App Purchase. [Physical goods, if any, are sold separately via [METHOD] and do not unlock app functionality.] Products are configured and testable in sandbox.

Thank you for your time.

[NAME]

What the decoder can diagnose here: Which unlock mechanism Apple flagged from their wording, and the two lawful paths: move the sale into IAP, or remove the in-app unlock/purchase path (physical goods and services consumed outside the app are exempt and may use other payment methods). What it cannot: Whether your specific business model qualifies for an entitlement (reader, external link, etc.) — entitlements are separate applications to Apple; a review reply alone doesn't grant one.

Rule text: “If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase... Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock or enable additional features or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency wallets, etc.” — App Review Guidelines §3.1.1, retrieved 2026-10-23

3.1.1 — External Purchase Link Rules

You are using (or appear to be using) an external purchase link without meeting the entitlement rules for it — the entitlement program, storefront, disclosure sheet, and link-format requirements are strict and differ by region and app category (e.g., music streaming, US storefront link entitlement, reader apps).

Severity: blocker · Decoder confidence for this class: B (see the honesty note below)

The fix

1. Confirm you hold the specific entitlement for your app category and storefronts, and that it covers this app.
2. Implement the link exactly per the entitlement terms: approved URL format, disclosure sheet, StoreKit External Purchase API where required.
3. Reference the entitlement and its terms in the review notes on resubmission.
4. If you don't hold the entitlement, remove the links and use IAP (or apply for the entitlement first and resubmit after approval).

Resubmission checklist

• Entitlement held and named in review notes
• Link implementation matches entitlement terms
• Disclosure sheet shown as required

Reply draft

Hello App Review Team,

Thank you for the feedback. This app uses the [ENTITLEMENT NAME] under our approved entitlement for [STOREFRONTS/CATEGORY]. The link implementation follows the entitlement terms, including [DISCLOSURE SHEET / API DETAILS]. Details are also in the review notes. [OR: We did not hold the entitlement; the links have been removed in build [X] and purchases now use In-App Purchase.]

Thank you for your time.

[NAME]

What the decoder can diagnose here: That the dispute is about entitlement compliance rather than IAP itself, and that the evidence you need is your entitlement approval + correct StoreKit External Purchase implementation. What it cannot: Whether you qualify for an entitlement you haven't been granted — qualification is decided through Apple's entitlement request process, not App Review replies.

Rule text: “In addition to In-App Purchase, certain apps may use external purchase links only under the applicable entitlement programs and their terms.” — App Review Guidelines §3.1.1 entitlement provisions, retrieved 2026-10-23 (summary wording; see guideline for program-specific terms)

Related guides

• Rejection decoder — paste your message, get the fix
• App Store Pre-Flight — the full check and $29 Founding pre-sale
• Google Play Pre-Flight — deadlines and declarations
• Guideline 3.1.2 — Subscription terms and scams

Sources

• App Review Guidelines §3.1.1, retrieved 2026-10-23
• App Review Guidelines §3.1.1 entitlement provisions, retrieved 2026-10-23 (summary wording; see guideline for program-specific terms)

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rules change; the retrieval dates above say when this page was last checked against the store's published text.