Placement Decides Almost Everything
The most common mistake in a first app is putting the paywall immediately after onboarding, before the user has done anything. It feels efficient. It converts badly, because you are asking someone to pay for a promise they have not yet seen delivered.
The paywall belongs at the moment the user has just experienced the value and wants more of it. They have generated the first thing, completed the first session, saved the first item, and then they hit the limit. That is when the price is being weighed against something real rather than against a description.
Common placements and what they do
| Placement | Effect |
|---|---|
| Immediately after onboarding | Low conversion, high uninstall. Nothing has been proven yet. |
| After the first successful action | Strongest. Value is fresh and the limit is felt, not described. |
| On a specific locked feature | Good, and it self-selects for users who want that feature. |
| Buried in settings only | Almost nobody finds it. Free users stay free forever. |
The Five Things the Screen Must Contain
There is a minimum set, and everything else is decoration.
- One clear headline stating the outcome the subscription delivers. Not the feature, the result.
- Three or four benefits at most. A long list dilutes rather than persuades, and it reads as padding.
- The price and the billing period, stated plainly and prominently.
- One primary action. Multiple equally weighted buttons produce hesitation, and hesitation on a paywall means leaving.
- A visible restore purchases control, plus links to your terms and privacy policy.
That last item is not a design choice. It is a requirement, and the next section explains why it is worth treating as such.
Outcome Language, Not Feature Language
Builders write feature lists because features are what they built and what they are proud of. Users are not buying features, they are buying a different version of their situation.
Rewriting the same benefit
| Feature language | Outcome language |
|---|---|
| Unlimited exports | Never hit a limit mid-project again |
| Cloud sync across devices | Pick up on your phone exactly where your laptop left off |
| Advanced filters | Find the one thing you need in seconds |
| Priority support | Get a real answer the same day when something breaks |
The right-hand column is longer and it works better. Compression is not the goal on a paywall, clarity about the change in the user's life is.
The App Store Rules That Cause Rejections
A meaningful share of first-submission rejections come from the purchase screen, and they are all avoidable. Verify the current guidelines directly rather than trusting any summary, but these are the ones that repeatedly catch people.
- The price and the billing period must be visible on the screen where the purchase happens. Not on a previous screen, not in the store listing.
- Terms of use and a privacy policy must be reachable from that screen.
- A restore purchases mechanism is required, so an existing subscriber on a new device can regain access.
- If a free trial is offered, its length and what happens when it ends must be stated clearly, without ambiguity about the first charge.
- The user must be able to leave the paywall. A screen that cannot be dismissed is a rejection.
Trials, and Whether You Need One
A free trial lowers the barrier to starting and raises the number of people who see the full product. It also brings cancellations you have to survive, and it delays your revenue by the length of the trial.
For a first app, the more useful question is whether your free tier already does the job a trial would do. If a user can experience the core value for free and only hits a limit when they are invested, you may not need a trial at all. If the core value is entirely behind the paywall, a trial is close to essential.
Testing It Before You Ship
- Run the whole purchase flow in sandbox, including cancel and resubscribe, before submission.
- Test restore purchases on a second device signed into the same account. This is the step people skip and it is the one reviewers check.
- Read the screen on the smallest device you support. Paywalls designed on a large simulator routinely push the price below the fold.
- Confirm the dismiss control is obvious and works, on every entry point into the paywall.
- Have somebody who has never seen the app read the screen and tell you what they would be paying for. If they cannot, the headline is wrong.
The sandbox side of this is covered properly in [how to test in-app purchases in sandbox mode](/blog/how-to-test-in-app-purchases-in-sandbox-mode), and the surrounding subscription setup is in [how to set up in-app subscriptions](/blog/how-to-set-up-in-app-subscriptions).
Short, practical drops on app ideas, validating fast, store listings, and passing app review. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Where should the paywall appear in my app?
Right after the user has successfully done the thing your app is for, at the point they hit a limit. Showing it immediately after onboarding asks people to pay for a promise they have not yet seen delivered, which converts poorly and drives uninstalls.
What has to be on a paywall screen for App Store approval?
The price and billing period on the purchase screen itself, links to your terms of use and privacy policy, a restore purchases control, clear trial terms if you offer one, and a working way to dismiss the screen. Check the current guidelines directly before submitting.
Why do I need a restore purchases button?
So an existing subscriber signing in on a new device can regain access without paying again. It is required, and its absence is one of the most frequent reasons a first submission is rejected.
How many benefits should I list on a paywall?
Three or four, written as outcomes rather than features. Longer lists read as padding and dilute the strongest reason to subscribe.
Should my first app offer a free trial?
It depends on whether your free tier already lets people experience the core value. If it does, a trial may be unnecessary. If the core value sits entirely behind the paywall, a trial is close to essential because otherwise nobody sees what they are buying.
Last reviewed by David on August 13, 2026
