Moving an AIR app from paid to subscription model (repost in AIR from ANIMATE)

[mintyh]

Hi,

I posted this in the Animate CC forum and it's had no responses in over a month, so I thought I'd try the incredibly smart, handsome and fit AIR experts here. Apologies for the crosspost, but I'd be delighted to get any kind of feedback.

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I've got an existing AIR app on iTunes and Google Play, for kids with reading difficulties, that I'm thinking of moving to a subscription model.

Has any here done that?

Was it simple/complex/needed a completely new relaunched product?

Are there any online tutorials about using a subscription model? I'd assumed I'd need to use an ANE but couldn't see one that supported such a thing.

Any tips would be greatly welcomed!

Cheers,

Minty

[phillipkerman]

The way one of my client does (something similar to that) is to just require the user has an account via their website.  Then, to use the app, you just have to log in.  In my case the accounts are free and it's legit educational (continuing education credits are earned)... so the whole deal with iTunes wanting 30% is moot.

But, technically, there's nothing to it.  In the case of iTunes in particular, you need a way for them to get their cut.

[mintyh]

Hey Phillip,

I appreciate the suggestion, but the lack of the app itself needing a regular net connection is actually a big bonus for me: reduces support/ security/privacy issues which is great for me and for schools/home users, but also we're looking at it for prisons and that's a big selling point. Separating the subscription model from the app (once the initial purchase is done) is a big bonus.

Also, even if there was a registration check, that tends to suggest I've also got an ongoing billing structure... and while iTunes and Play Store % cuts are painful, I do appreciate the whole payment/updating/trust/visibility of the platforms.

In the end, I think I'm just too embedded into both those platforms, and I was hoping there was an Adobe solution for subscription apps that I was just being too thick to find.

Cheers,
Minty

Ps. It might be easier from the US, but my support options from NZ are:

* sit on phone for 99 minutes before being disconnected
* request an expert... for which there are no options ever for Animate (and certainly not AIR!) I think because I'm in NZ
* chat: once the chat person realises where my request is pitched, they freak out and want to escalate... which ends in a chat disconnection with no follow-up.
* post on forums: Animate was obviously the wrong place- one month of radio silence.

It's very frustrating!

[rewb0rn · Accepted solution]

Hi,

is this a technical question or a strategical question? Technically, you can implement payment subscriptions via an ANE, I can recommend Distriqt: air native extensions

This will allow you to sell subscriptions to app users and check if a subscription is active on startup of the app. Then the only thing you need to do is hide part of the content behind this check and send users to the purchase when they want to access it.

[mintyh]

It's a question that was hoping for a suggested ANE, with bonus points for knowing it's not abandonware or a PITA or semi-functional.

Based on what you've said, it sounds very promising!

Many thanks, rewb0rn . You're giving me confidence that this is achievable and viable. Hurrah!

[rewb0rn]

Yes this is definitely achievable