Apple is giving App Store developers a long-overdue tool to better promote in-app purchases, including for games. Starting later this year, developers will finally be able to generate and distribute promo codes for any type of in-app purchase, not just subscriptions. Here’s how it’s going to work.

From subscriptions to consumables and more

Up until now, Apple’s App Store promo code system was mostly limited to unlocking a free download, or for auto-renewable subscriptions, letting developers hand out promo codes for discounted trial periods or special offers.

But with the upcoming change, that system is expanding to also cover what Apple calls consumables, non-consumables, and non-renewing subscriptions. In practice, this means mobile games could start handing out codes for free gems or extra lives at a live event, or an indie productivity app could email users a one-time code for discounted unlocks.

Apple detailed the changes in a WWDC25 session called “What’s new in StoreKit and In-App Purchase“, in which it explained that the new redemption flow will work within apps using the existing offerCodeRedemption API, or via the system UI for apps built with UIKit using presentOfferCodeRedeemSheet.

Developers targeting iOS 16.3 and later can adopt the feature, which means even if an iPhone isn’t running iOS 26, it’ll still be able to redeem these new in-app purchase promo codes. The same back-deployment will apply across other platforms like iPadOS, macOS, and more.

Apple hasn’t said exactly which iOS 26 release will include the feature, only that it’s coming “later this year.” But given the timing, it’s a safe bet this will arrive as part of iOS 26, finally crossing off one of the most developer-requested StoreKit additions in years.

Source: 9to5mac