This is a summation of everything I’ve learned during my time on the play store selling in-app-purchases. Over time I’ve noticed certain patterns as to what works and what doesn’t. So, here is a list of everything that works.

*These tips are mainly applicable to apps (not games) and are focused towards indie developers.

First of all, we need to figure out whether IAPs are indeed right for your app. Here’s a few things to consider:

Provide value. Why did the user download your app? What are they getting out of it? Does your IAP enhance the function of your app? You need to analyze your audience and figure out exactly what the majority of your users need and build your IAPs around that goal. Provide free value. Don’t just give a demo of your app’s functionality and assume that once users see the value of your app, they’ll purchase the IAPs. This sounds like a decent plan but you’re just setting yourself up for low ratings. Even if you make the best app in the whole world, most users will not take out their wallets. And they will complain. You need to account for this by making your app useful to everyone, those who pay and those who don’t. If you can relate to this, your app would probably do better as a paid app (see the next point). Are IAPs the right model for your app? “IAPs make more money than paid apps”. As a result of this over-generalized statement that’s reiterated everywhere, I see so many apps pushing IAPs when other models would be much more appropriate. Candy Crush and Angry Birds and Clash Of Clans are what make the above statement statistically true, but it doesn’t apply to most of us. We’re the 99%. Every app is unique and you need to sit down and draw up plans for how different kinds of monetization models could work in your app. Namely- Advertisements, IAPs, paid apps and subscription. Pick one and have a good reason for rejecting the others.

Now that you’ve decided that selling IAPs is indeed the way to go, here’s how to make the most of it.

Put some cherries on top. Lots of them. Say you’re using an IAP to unlock a super awesome feature. Throw in some goodies. Give your paid users a dark theme. Let them customize the UI colors. Make some common tasks super convenient. Let ‘pro’ users send feedback and requests to the developer (you) directly. Users want to get the most out of their money, show them that purchasing the IAP was the right decision. Don’t hesitate to A/B test. Will more of your users buy the IAP if you start showing ads? Will you make more money if it’s priced at 0.99$ or $2.99? Are your users willing to pay for subscriptions? How can you know all this if you don’t A/B test? If you’re serious about selling IAPs, A/B testing is your new best friend. Consider timed discounts. There’s a couple ways to go about this. Say the user hits your paywall and starts mashing the back button. Stop them. Give them a special discount that’s valid for 24 hours. Make them reconsider. Remind them of all the cherries they’re buying, not to mention the super awesome feature they’ll unlock. In my apps, I’ve noticed a spike in sales on weekends. Why not offer a discount every other Sunday? Make the most out of analytics and A/B test to see what works best. Let users pay what they want. Suppose your IAP costs 99 cents. You have an amazing app and your users are very happy. Why not let them pay what they want? Let them choose: $0.99-$4.99, they can pay whatever they like. Your users will appreciate having a say in the pricing. You’ve got nothing to lose, everything to gain. (This can be accomplished by having 5 IAPs that unlock the same thing and a simple if-else chain in your code) Remember to ask your new best friend what works best for your app (See 2.) When the medium popcorn costs $5 and the large $6, the large one looks a lot more appealing, doesn’t it? Use multiple IAPs to make the one you’re actually trying to sell look a whole lot better. Offer one IAP that just removes ads, another one that unlocks new features, and another that does both. This last one should cost less than the others combined and more than each of them individually. This also has an added benefit. Say your user is happy with the free app and just wants to remove the ads. Users don’t like paying for stuff they don’t need. You’re giving this user a choice, where previously they had none.

And that’s all folks. Actually, it isn’t. I’ve got loads more, keep an eye out for part 2!