Dan Burcaw is Co-Founder & CEO of Nami ML. He built a top mobile app development agency responsible for some of the most elite apps on the App Store and then found himself inside the mobile marketing industry after selling his last company to Oracle.

Learn how to test DEFERRED Proration Mode in Google Play Billing with this step-by-step guide. Troubleshoot issues and streamline app billing for subscriptions.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to test DEFERRED Proration Mode, common issues that arise during testing, and how to resolve them. Additionally, we’ll explain what Proration Modes are and highlight other types available beyond DEFERRED.
Proration Modes define how Google Play Billing handles the transition when a user changes from one subscription plan to another. These modes determine when the new subscription takes effect and how the remaining balance of the current plan is treated.
Google Play offers the following Proration Modes:
DEFERRED Proration Mode postpones the subscription plan change until the current subscription cycle ends. Google describes this mode as:
“Replacement takes effect when the old plan expires, and the new price will be charged at the same time.”
This mode is most commonly used for subscription downgrades. If a user downgrades from a higher-tier plan to a lower-tier one, the new plan won’t take effect until the renewal date.

Testing DEFERRED Proration Mode involves unique challenges because the subscription change doesn’t take effect immediately. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help ensure your implementation works as expected:

Steps for Test Track Setup:
Testing DEFERRED Proration Mode might present various challenges. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

👉Read More: Fix Unsupported Version Google Play Billing
When testing DEFERRED Proration Mode, keep these real-world scenarios in mind:
Managing subscription proration and handling the complexities of DEFERRED Proration Mode can be challenging. With NamiML, developers can streamline their Google Play Billing implementation. Here's what we offer:
Testing DEFERRED Proration Mode in Google Play Billing requires understanding its intricacies, especially regarding how subscription changes are delayed. Following the step-by-step guide ensures that your implementation works correctly and that potential issues are addressed before going live. With tools like NamiML, you can simplify this process, reducing the hassle of handling proration modes and focusing on delivering an exceptional user experience.
👉Read More: Set Up IAP Google Play Android App

Learn how to fix the "The item you requested is not available for purchase" error with our step-by-step guide. Troubleshoot and resolve this issue quickly.
One of the most common errors you might encounter implementing Google Play Billing is BillingResponseCode.ITEM_UNAVAILABLE (code 4). The corresponding message from the BillingClient API is frustratingly vague. Here's how to fix it.
Ensure your app has been uploaded to the Google Play Console at least once and assigned to a test track (internal, alpha, or beta).
Confirm that the in-app purchase or subscription product is active and properly configured in the Play Console. Inactive products cannot be bought.
Add approved testers to your internal, alpha, or beta test tracks. These testers must also join the test via the provided link in the Play Console.
Under Setup > License Testing, add the Google accounts of your testers. This allows them to make test purchases using test credit cards, avoiding actual charges.
Ensure the Google Play account signed in on the testing device matches the one added for testing and license testing. This account must be the active account before attempting any test purchases.
Implementing Google Play Billing can be complex and time-consuming. Nami offers a simplified solution with a proven implementation that covers all tricky edge cases. Our SDK is easy to adopt, requires no server-side code, and includes built-in native paywall templates, A/B testing, and analytics. With Nami, you can focus on creating a great app experience without the hassle of Play Billing infrastructure.
Now you can focus on building a great app experience, not hassling with Play Billing infrastructure. Get started for free here.
👉Read More: Fix Unsupported Version Google Play Billing
👉Read More: Set Up IAP Google Play Android App
Addressing the "The item you requested is not available for purchase" error requires a thorough understanding of your app’s architecture and integration with external services. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively troubleshoot and resolve the issue, ensuring a seamless user experience and maximizing your app’s revenue potential.
For more insights and solutions to common app development challenges, visit our website at namiml.com. Explore our low-code solutions to streamline your development process and enhance your app’s functionality.

Learn how to change your app name in App Store Connect with this step-by-step guide. Ensure your app reflects its latest updates and branding.
First, visit the App Store Connect website and log in with your Apple ID and password. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to manage the app whose name you want to change.

Navigate to the "My Apps" section, where you will see all the apps associated with your account. Select the app for which you want to change the name.
Click on the "+" button or the "Create New Version" option to start a new version of your app.

Go to the "App Information" section in the left-hand menu. This section contains all the details about your app, including its name and subtitle.
In the "App Information" section, click on the name field and enter the new app name. Ensure the new name adheres to Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines and fits your branding strategy.

Scroll down and click the "Save" button to save the changes to your app’s metadata.
Navigate to the “App Store” tab and click “Submit for Review.” Apple will review the changes before they go live on the App Store.
To change the name and subtitle of an app that is not yet live on the App Store, you need to open App Store Connect and navigate to your app's page. Once there, you can directly modify the app name and subtitle fields. After making the necessary changes, ensure that you save your updates.

👉Read More: The App Store Rejected My App, Now What
Updating your app name in App Store Connect is a crucial step in maintaining your app’s relevance and brand identity. By following the steps outlined above and considering additional factors like ASO, branding consistency, and user communication, you can easily change your app name, ensuring it reflects your latest updates and marketing efforts.
If you’re interested in learning more about how your App Store Optimization efforts relate to monetization, we’d be happy to help. In the meantime, happy app making and best of luck with App Store discovery.
👉 Fixing Error ITMS-9000 on Apple App Store

Learn about the iOS App Shared Secret, its types, and how to generate one effectively for your app's security and in-app purchase validations.
The iOS App Shared Secret is a unique, 32-character hexadecimal string private key that developers use to secure in-app purchase transactions. This key ensures that communications between your app and Apple's servers are authenticated, preventing unauthorized access and fraudulent transactions.
It is especially vital for apps with subscription-based models, where the key is used to validate and renew subscriptions securely. It works fantastic for server-side receipt validation and provides added security for receipts with auto-renewable subscriptions.
Receipt verification is a process app developers use to verify purchases. Specifically, this process if for purchases made using Apple’s App Store payments mechanism (aka StoreKit). The receipt provides a complete list of all the purchases made by an app’s user. The receipt includes both in-app purchases and subscriptions.
Apple recommends that app developers validate a receipt for security and piracy reasons. In fact, property security requires a secure backend.
The Shared Secret allows you to receive the decoded form of a receipt. In addition, its included in the payload of App Store Server Notifications. You can check that the password key’s value matches the known Shared Secret verify the authenticity of the notification.
👉Read more: Test In-App Purchases iOS Guide
There are primarily two types of shared secrets you might encounter in the iOS development environment:
Generating an iOS App Shared Secret is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Visit App Store Connect and log in with your Apple Developer account credentials. To generate either type of Shared Secret requires an App Store Connect account with either Account Holder or Admin role.
Navigate to the "My Apps" section and select the app for which you need to create a shared secret.
In the app's dashboard, go to the "Features" tab and select "In-App Purchases".
If you are generating an app-specific shared secret, find the section labeled "App-Specific Shared Secret" and click on "Generate" or "Reset" if a key already exists.

For a primary shared secret, go to "Users and Access" and select "Shared Secret" from the sidebar. Click on "Generate" to create a new key.

The App-Specific Shared Secret is a good idea if you want app-level security. Perhaps plan to transfer an app to another Apple Developer. For instance, if you sell an app to another party on a marketplace like Flippa.
Once generated, copy the shared secret and store it securely. It will be needed for integrating your app's in-app purchase functionality with your backend server.
Proper management of your shared secret is crucial for maintaining app security. Here are some best practices:
👉Read more: App Store Verify Receipt Definitive Guide
Understanding and effectively managing your iOS App Shared Secret is essential for maintaining the security and integrity of your app's in-app purchases. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your app's transactions are secure, providing a better experience for your users and peace of mind for yourself.
For more detailed guidance on app development and in-app purchase security, visit our website at NamiML to explore our low-code solutions designed to simplify and enhance your app's functionality.

Learn why customer support is the backbone of subscription-based businesses, and discover actionable strategies to improve retention and create a better user experience
Imagine this – You've just signed up for a streaming service. You're excited to binge-watch your favorite shows. But then, you can't figure out how to cast to your TV. Or maybe your billing is all messed up. What happens next?
For subscription businesses great customer support isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have. It's the difference between a customer who sticks around and one who bails.
Let's dive into why customer support is such a big deal for subscription businesses. We'll talk about what it really means, why keeping customers happy is a smart business move, and how top-notch support can help your company grow.
Subscription businesses face a unique set of challenges compared to traditional one-time sales. Think about it: You're not just selling a product; you're selling a continuous service. Customers need to keep seeing value month after month, year after year. And if they don't, they can just hit the "cancel" button.
That's where customer support comes in. It's like the glue that holds everything together. Here's how it plays a vital role:
In short, customer support is the backbone of a successful subscription business. It's about building relationships, solving problems, and making sure customers feel valued.
When it comes to subscription businesses, happy customers are the key to success. And great customer support is the secret sauce for keeping customers happy. Here's why –
Investing in customer support is an investment in your business's future. It's a win-win situation: happy customers, a stronger bottom line, and a reputation for excellence.
To make your customers feel like VIPs, consider implementing the following strategies:
By implementing these strategies, you can create a customer support experience that sets your business apart and fosters long-term customer loyalty.
To effectively gauge the influence of customer support on retention, businesses should implement a comprehensive measurement strategy. This involves tracking specific metrics, gathering customer feedback, and analyzing long-term customer behavior. Let's explore these aspects in detail:
Monitor these essential metrics to assess the effectiveness of your customer support:
Implement various feedback mechanisms to gain deeper insights:
Examine long-term metrics to understand the broader impact of customer support:
To truly understand the impact of customer support on retention, analyze the relationships between support metrics and business outcomes:
By implementing these measurement strategies, subscription-based businesses can gain valuable insights into how their customer support efforts directly impact retention rates and overall business success. This data-driven approach allows for continuous improvement and optimization of support strategies to maximize customer retention.
To illustrate the impact of exceptional customer support on retention in subscription-based businesses, let's examine two notable case studies:
Netflix has set a high bar for customer support in the streaming industry –
Netflix maintains a low churn rate of around 2-3% monthly, significantly better than the industry average.
Slack's approach to customer support focuses on speed and community engagement:
Slack boasts a Net Promoter Score of 40, well above the software industry average.
From these case studies and other successful subscription businesses, we can extract several key lessons:
While providing exceptional customer support is crucial for subscription-based businesses, it comes with its own set of challenges. Let's explore some common obstacles faced by support teams and solutions to overcome them:
By addressing these challenges with innovative solutions, subscription-based businesses can enhance their support capabilities, leading to improved customer satisfaction and retention rates.
Customer support is the backbone of any successful subscription-based business. It's more than just answering questions; it's about building relationships, solving problems, and making customers feel valued.
By following the strategies outlined in this article, you can create a customer support experience that sets your business apart and drives long-term success.
Ready to take your subscription business to the next level? Contact Nami ML today to learn how we can help you scale revenue from your subscription offerings.

Discover what tiered pricing is, how it works, and the benefits for businesses. Learn about different tiered pricing models and best practices to boost revenue.
Revenue Increase: Offering multiple price points allows businesses to capture additional revenue from customers willing to pay more for premium features or higher service levels.
Effective Customer Segmentation: Tiered pricing gives companies insights into different customer segments and preferences, supporting targeted marketing strategies.
Flexibility for Customers: By offering options, businesses cater to various budget levels, improving customer satisfaction and accessibility.
Loyalty and Retention: Customers often feel rewarded by the value they receive at specific tiers, which can enhance customer retention and encourage repeat purchases.
Enhanced Perceived Value: When customers see a range of options, they may perceive the product or service as more valuable due to its diverse and adaptable nature.
Tiered pricing is a pricing model that allows businesses to present various options at different price points, based on factors like purchase volume, access to features, or subscription length. This strategy encourages larger purchases and upgrades, as customers see the added value in higher-tier options. The approach is popular across industries, from SaaS to retail, providing a flexible model that aligns with diverse customer budgets and maximizes revenue potential.
The core value of tiered pricing lies in its adaptability across industries, using different structures based on company goals and customer preferences:
| Pricing Model | Description |
|---|---|
| Volume-Based Pricing | Customers pay less per unit as they increase their order quantity, incentivizing bulk purchases. Commonly used in retail and other sectors where boosting volume sales is essential. |
| Feature-Based Pricing | This model offers different product or service features at each tier, ideal for businesses like software providers. Customers can select a tier that suits their needs, from basic to advanced features. |
| Subscription-Based Pricing | Customers receive discounts or benefits for longer subscription periods, reducing the price per billing cycle. Common in recurring services like streaming or SaaS products, this model rewards long-term commitment. |
| Usage-Based Pricing | Customers pay based on usage levels, which is effective for services such as cloud storage or data services, where usage patterns vary widely. |
Tiered pricing offers flexibility and benefits both businesses and customers:
Successfully implementing a tiered pricing model requires attention to several key practices:
Nami ML’s app revenue management software offers valuable tools to refine tiered pricing structures. Through A/B testing, businesses can experiment with various feature combinations to pinpoint the most popular configurations, ensuring each tier remains distinct and valuable. The platform also enables dynamic adjustments based on real-time data, allowing companies to fine-tune each tier for optimal customer satisfaction and revenue impact. With Nami ML’s analytics, track KPIs like customer lifetime value and average revenue per user to make informed, data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.
Optimize your in-app purchase process and unlock additional revenue potential with Nami ML. Try it today to see how seamless revenue management can transform your pricing strategy.
Tiered pricing is an adaptable and impactful strategy for businesses across various industries, from retail to SaaS, enabling them to offer options for diverse customer needs while maximizing revenue. Whether your goals are encouraging volume sales, promoting premium features, or enhancing customer retention, tiered pricing can support these objectives.
Nami ML provides essential tools to optimize tiered pricing with advanced A/B testing and analytics, ensuring each pricing tier aligns with customer expectations and maximizes revenue. Start with Nami ML today to explore how it can transform your pricing strategy and help you stay competitive in the market.
How is tiered pricing different from volume or bulk pricing?
While volume or bulk pricing typically discounts based on quantity purchased, tiered pricing is more versatile, allowing businesses to structure prices around factors like features and usage levels. It’s especially useful for services or subscription models where customers select tiers that best fit their needs.
What industries benefit most from tiered pricing?
Tiered pricing is effective across SaaS, telecommunications, e-commerce, and subscription-based services. It’s particularly useful for companies offering service levels or feature-rich products, as it addresses a wide range of customer needs and budgets.
Can tiered pricing improve customer loyalty?
Yes, by offering value at each level and encouraging customers to upgrade as their needs grow, tiered pricing can foster loyalty and increase customer lifetime value.
With Nami ML, you can test and optimize your pricing tiers to ensure each level aligns with customer expectations and drives loyalty. Try Nami ML to see how our tools can streamline your tiered pricing strategy.