This is correct. You only pay 30% on subscriptions purchased through the IAP. Apple have expressly stated that they take nothing from subscriptions taken out through any other means.
So if I take out a magazine subscription through the IAP option in the magazine app, they pay 30%. If I take out the same subscription through the magazine's website they pay nothing, even if I then access it exclusively through the app.
The caveats are that I must have the choice of taking out the subscription through IAP, and must be able to get the same (or better) price through IAP. They're basically assuming that so long as there is no price difference they'll do well from the convenience of IAP for the consumer.
>"You only pay 30% on subscriptions purchased through the IAP."
Because the developer must offer IAP, Apple - with their 30% cut - gets first crack at the developer's customers and furthermore gets to put the best available pricing in front of the developer's customers as well.
To put it simply, Apple now requires the developer to deliver convenience for their customers and not only to forgo charging a premium for convenience but to actually withstand a revenue reduction because they are providing the convenience.
Yes, I don't disagree with any of that but the point I was refuting was the suggestion in the post above the one I replied to that you had to pay 30% on all subscriptions, whether purchased through the IAP model or elsewhere.
I'm not defending Apple (as it goes I think they have the right to make money this way but I do think the model needs some fairly heavy tweaking to address some valid concerns in certain areas) but I do think if we're going to have a discussion about it we should do so on the basis of correct information.
So if I take out a magazine subscription through the IAP option in the magazine app, they pay 30%. If I take out the same subscription through the magazine's website they pay nothing, even if I then access it exclusively through the app.
The caveats are that I must have the choice of taking out the subscription through IAP, and must be able to get the same (or better) price through IAP. They're basically assuming that so long as there is no price difference they'll do well from the convenience of IAP for the consumer.