TL;DR
In-app purchases, or IAP, are how you sell digital goods inside your app: subscriptions, one-time unlocks, and consumables. They must use the store's payment system, which takes its cut. Create the products in the stores, manage them with RevenueCat, and let Claude Code wire the purchase flow. Test in sandbox before shipping.
In-app purchases, usually shortened to IAP, are the mechanism behind almost all app revenue. Any time a user buys something digital inside your app, an unlock, a subscription, a bundle of credits, that is an in-app purchase. Understanding the types and the rules keeps you from building the wrong thing or running afoul of the stores, and the good news is that a tool and an AI coder handle most of the hard parts for you.
The types of in-app purchase
There are a few kinds, and picking the right one matters. Subscriptions renew on a schedule and fit ongoing value. Non-consumable purchases are bought once and kept forever, like unlocking a pro feature. Consumables are used up and can be bought again, like a pack of credits. Most beginner apps use a subscription or a one-time non-consumable unlock; consumables suit apps built around usage that refills.
How to add IAP the easy way
- Decide which type fits: a subscription, a one-time unlock, or a consumable.
- Create the products in App Store Connect and Google Play Console with prices and IDs.
- Manage them with RevenueCat so both stores work through one simple interface.
- Let Claude Code wire the purchase flow and the check that unlocks the paid features.
Create the products, then wire them up
Every in-app purchase starts as a product you define in the stores, with an ID, a price, and a type. Once those exist, connect them in RevenueCat and tell Claude Code what each purchase should unlock in your app. Claude Code writes the code that shows the purchase, completes it through the store, and switches the user to unlocked. You steer the wording and layout and preview it live in Expo.
Always support restore purchases
Users switch phones and reinstall apps, and when they do they expect their purchases to come back. Both stores require a restore-purchases option, and skipping it causes angry reviews and refunds. RevenueCat makes restore straightforward, but you must include it and test it. A user who paid once should never be asked to pay again just because they got a new phone.
Test every purchase in sandbox
Before you ship, run each in-app purchase through the stores' sandbox and test accounts. Buy the subscription, buy the unlock, buy the consumable, and confirm each one unlocks the right thing and shows up in RevenueCat. Test restore too. A broken purchase that charges but does not deliver is one of the fastest ways to earn refunds and one-star reviews, and sandbox testing catches it before real users ever hit it.
Common questions
What are in-app purchases?
In-app purchases, or IAP, are how you sell digital goods inside your app: subscriptions, one-time unlocks, and consumables like credit packs. Any time a user buys something digital in your app, it is an in-app purchase, and it must go through the store's payment system, which takes its cut.
What types of in-app purchase are there?
Subscriptions renew on a schedule and fit ongoing value. Non-consumables are bought once and kept forever, like a pro unlock. Consumables are used up and rebought, like credits. Most beginner apps use a subscription or a one-time unlock; consumables suit usage-based apps that refill.
Can I use my own payment page to avoid the fee?
No. For digital goods and feature unlocks inside your app, the stores require their in-app purchase system, and they take their cut. You cannot route users to an outside payment page to dodge it. Physical goods and outside services can use other processors, but digital in-app sales must use IAP.
How do I add in-app purchases without coding?
Create the products in App Store Connect and Google Play Console, connect them in RevenueCat, and tell Claude Code what each purchase should unlock. Claude Code writes the purchase flow and the unlock check, and you preview it live in Expo. The tool and the AI coder handle the hard parts.
Do I need a restore-purchases option?
Yes, both stores require it. Users switch phones and reinstall apps and expect their purchases back. Skipping restore causes angry reviews and refunds. RevenueCat makes it straightforward, but you must include and test it so a paying user is never asked to pay again after a reinstall.
How do I test in-app purchases?
Use the stores' sandbox and test accounts to buy each product without real charges. Confirm each purchase unlocks the right thing and appears in RevenueCat, and test restore after a reinstall. A purchase that charges but does not deliver earns refunds fast, and sandbox testing catches it first.
Keep going
Add in-app purchases and start selling inside your app
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