Got some subscriptions on an Apple device you’re looking to cancel? You might be in for an extra step in the near future — or a deal you decide you can’t pass up.
I don’t know about you, but often when I’m trying cancel a subscription (like Starz, when Outlander isn’t airing), I get an offer to stick around for a temporarily discounted price. It can be annoying sometimes, but I’d be lying if I said I’ve never taken them up on the deal.
However you feel about that common customer retention practice, you can expect to see it on your Apple devices in the near future, according to findings from 9to5Mac. Spotted in the company’s App Store documentation, developers now have a few options for presenting you with a further message whenever you attempt to end a subscription, including messages encouraging you to consider a different price tier, or a message offering you a promotional discount.
At that point in the process, you’ll still have the standard “Confirm Cancellation” and “Don’t Cancel” options available to you, so no need to worry about further complications to cancellation beyond this extra decision.
It comes just after the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s “Click to Cancel” rule, which sought to make cancelling subscriptions as simple as the push of one button. The rule might make a comeback soon, as the ruling was only because the FTC had not undertaken the necessary regulatory analysis for a move that would have an impact on the US economy greater than $1 million.
Apple did not respond to CNET’s request for comment prior to publication.
