‍What Causes SKErrorDomain Code=3?

Error Code 3 is typically caused by issues with payment validation. This includes using an expired card, a restricted payment method, or incorrect setup in sandbox testing. The error also arises if the Apple ID used does not have a verified payment method, resulting in the App Store rejecting the transaction.

‍

Common Scenarios for SKErrorDomain Code=3 - Payment Invalid

This error is commonly encountered in the following situations:

1. Using Invalid or Expired Payment Methods: The error appears if the user’s credit card has expired or if the payment method is invalid.
2. Testing Purchases with Incomplete Sandbox Setup: When using sandbox accounts, this error may occur if the payment profile is not configured properly.
3. Attempting Purchases on Restricted Accounts: Apple accounts with purchase restrictions or parental controls may trigger this error.
4. Incorrect Apple ID Setup: Attempting purchases on Apple IDs that lack verified payment methods can cause this error in both production and testing environments.

‍

Step-by-Step Solutions for SKErrorDomain Code=3

Solution 1: Verify Payment Method in Apple ID Settings

• Purpose: Ensures that the Apple ID used has a valid and updated payment method.
• Steps:

1. Go to Settings > [User’s Apple ID] > Payment & Shipping.
2. Verify that the payment method is active and up-to-date.
3. If necessary, update the payment method to a valid credit card or payment option.

• Result: Ensuring valid payment details reduces the likelihood of payment-related rejections.

Solution 2: Test with a Valid Sandbox Account

• Purpose: Ensures that test purchases are conducted on a properly configured sandbox account.
• Steps:

1. Log out of the current Apple ID and log in with a sandbox test account.
2. Ensure that the test account is active and has valid payment settings.
3. Retry the in-app purchase to confirm proper setup.

• Result: Testing with a sandbox account configured for purchases eliminates payment validation errors during testing.

Solution 3: Confirm Payment Settings in App Store Connect

• Purpose: Checks that payment settings in App Store Connect align with the app’s in-app purchase setup.
• Steps:

1. In App Store Connect, go to In-App Purchases and verify each purchase’s configuration.
2. Make sure product IDs and subscription options are correctly listed and configured.

1. Result: Proper setup in App Store Connect reduces potential errors due to mismatches between the app and App Store configurations.

Solution 4: Advise Users to Check Parental Control Settings (for Restricted Accounts)

• Purpose: Ensures users understand how restrictions can affect in-app purchases.
• Steps:

1. Ask users to go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Instruct them to verify that purchases are allowed under iTunes & App Store Purchases.
3. Retry the purchase if restrictions were lifted.

• Result: Ensuring no purchase restrictions are enabled allows transactions to proceed smoothly.

Solution 5: Reattempt the Purchase on a Different Device or Network

• Purpose: Avoids issues due to device-specific or network-related restrictions.
• Steps:

1. Test the in-app purchase flow on a different device or network.
2. Retry the purchase process to confirm if the issue persists.

• Result: Testing on a different setup can reveal device-specific problems and confirm if the error is isolated.

‍Conclusion

Error Code 3 - Payment Invalid, typically arises from issues with payment methods or account restrictions. By verifying Apple ID payment methods, testing with sandbox accounts, confirming payment settings, checking parental controls, and reattempting on different devices, developers can resolve this error and facilitate a seamless purchase process.

With Nami’s low-code solutions, you can skip the hassle of managing in-app payment validation, allowing Nami to handle your app’s purchases with ease. Discover more at NamiML.

‍

‍

Google I/O 2022 wrapped up this week and we've got you covered on the key announcements relating to monetization on Google Play:

• Subscription Offers
• Custom Store Listings
• LiveOps Events
• Play Billing 5.0

🔥 Subscription Offers

Perhaps the most exciting announcement is the introduction of Subscription Offers.  App publishers no longer have to create different subscription products for each  promotional or test variation.

Now, each of your subscription products have a base plan which represents your standard pricing.  Then, you can create offers for your subscription products with different eligibility rules:

New customer acquisition

The offer is for users who have either never had this subscription or any of your subscriptions.

Upgrade

The offer is for users who currently have a specific subscription. For instance, this is for cross-grading to a longer bill term or upgrading to a different tier of service.

Developer

The offer type allows you to determine a user's eligibility. Google suggests using this for use cases like a second-chance free trial or a winback offer.

Subscription Offers can also be limited to certain countries or regions and support up to 2 pricing phases.

👉Read more: Set Up IAP Google Play Android App

🏪 Custom Store Listings

Custom store listings have been a useful way to target users with an alternative store list by country or region. This year, there are three major changes to custom store listings:

Deep links

Now users can reach your custom store listing through a deep link. This is a powerful way to tie these variations to other marketing campaigns.

10X more custom store listings

Deep links will make custom store listings much more valuable. So, you can now have up to 50 custom listings.

Store listing experiments

Your store listing A/B tests now offer fine grain control such as setting a confidence level. Play also gives you estimates for when your experiment will complete or flag when your experiment has been running too long.

🎟 LiveOps Events

Similar to the App Store's in-app events, LiveOps now includes an Events feature. Events are surfaced throughout the Play Store giving you more exposure.

Offers

Now, LiveOps events can now have offers attached such as a discount or special Subscription Trials.

Deep Links

LiveOps events can now deep link to shorten the path to the related content in your app, improving conversion.

Reports

Now you can view reports for all your events. Measure conversion rate by different outcomes such as acquisition, open, or update.

While LiveOps is still in beta, Google is expanding access. If you're interested, you can express interest at: g.co/play/LiveOpsbeta

🤖 Play Billing 5.0

Google has released new client and server APIs with the release of Play Billing Library 5.0. This release rolls out some of the features announced last year, Subscription Offers, and some other nice improvements including:

In-App Messaging

Users at risk for involuntary churn due to a declined payment can now receive an in-app message from Play promoting them to correct their payment method.

Prepaid Subscriptions

In markets where pay-as-you-go is standard, Play Billing now supports prepaid subscriptions. Prepaid subscriptions can be extended through a top-up by the user. In Google's early tests, this can result in 2X better subscription recovery rates.

Nami SDK for Android

As always, Nami helps you adopt the latest from Google without worrying about the implementation details. Our current stable Android SDK supports Play Billing 4.0, which will continue to operate until May 2024. We plan to roll out an SDK update with support for Play Billing 5.0 in the second half of this year.

👉Read more: Play Billing Response Code: Item Unavailable

Final Thoughts

Google I/O 2022 brought a lot great new monetization announcements for app publishers. From Subscription Offers, to Custom Store Listings with Deep Links, Play apps have never had such a robust solution for commerce.  

Combining Google’s latest with Nami’s entitlement engine, native paywall manager, and paywall A/B testing, it’s never been easier to grow and optimize your app revenue. If you’re interested in giving Nami a spin for your own app, you can create a free account here.

       

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A subscription app launch is an exciting moment for app publishers. As launch day approaches, your team is no doubt looking forward to celebrating all the hard work.

No doubt expectations are high for your subscription app performance. As you work towards launch day, it’s important to also think about the days and weeks that will follow.

Do you have the right foundation to both operationalize and optimize your subscription app? Here’s five important items you should add to your pre-launch checklist so you are ready to scale.

1. Be sure your subscription app leverages each app stores’ monetization features on launch

Each distribution channel such as Apple App Store, Google Play and Roku offer different standard capabilities for in-app subscriptions. Some of these features are optional, but offer a benefit if you take advantage of them.

For instance, both the App Store and Google Play offer Grace Periods so users don’t lose access to their subscription services if the credit card charge for a renewal fails to process. This gives users time to credit their billing details and app publishers a tool to avoid involuntary churn.

Google Play also offers a unique feature: the ability for a user to pause a subscription. This is a great way to retain subscriptions even if they need to temporarily step away from your subscription product.

Each platform offers a different mix of capabilities to app publishers offering in-app subscriptions. These features are designed to help you operate a better subscription app.

When launching your subscription app, be sure you’re taking full advantage of everything your distribution platforms have to offer to enhance your subscriptions.

2. Subscriptions apps can’t be static. Launch with the ability to iterate quickly.

Too many apps ship with a hard coded subscription purchase experience. While typical, it means development cycles and app updates to make changes.

Once you launch your subscription app, you’re going to want the marketing agility to experiment. Want to try a different introductory offer? Does your messaging need to adapt to strategy changes from leadership? Do you want to offer a new subscription tier?

These are just a few ways your in-app subscription storefront or paywall needs to be a marketing asset, not a fixed screen. In fact, think of this as an opportunity that is tangential to your App Store Optimization efforts.

3. Users expect subscription apps to be localized and accessible. Don’t punt until after launch.

Your team may be thinking about localizing your subscription app as an enhancement after launch. The same is probably true for accessibility features such as enlarged fonts and audible screen reading (e.g. VoiceOver).

This is a bad idea. The best apps don’t wait. One reason is because localization and accessibility are factors that the Apple and Google editorial teams consider when choosing apps to feature. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do.

What’s this mean for subscription apps in particular? Don’t just localize your key app screens. The paywall should be localized and accessible.

Use the user’s device language and store region to localize the subscription storefront for them. The paywall should also support accessibility features such as larger fonts, gray scale, and screen reading.  

You won’t get credit for having some of your app screens  localized and accessible.  Your potential subscribers come from all walks of life and expect a great experience which includes your purchase experience..

4. Don’t forget to launch with analytics designed for subscription apps

Almost every app launches with some sort fo general purpose analytics solution such as Adobe Analytics or Mixpanel. However, subscription apps need to go a step further.

Due to the nature of subscriptions, actionable insight into what’s working (or not) is a challenge. Typical analytics tools understand single moments where commerce takes place. The customer’s journey with a subscription over time is what’s important.  

That journey may include a free trial, conversion to paying subscriber, multiple renewals, and yes even possible cancellation and churn. Unfortunately, most general analytics tools don’t adequately model revenue, let alone subscription revenue.

You need a subscription analytics solution to augment (and enrich) your general purpose solution. If you don’t have this for launch, you’ll be missing critical data to help you improve and optimize efficiently.

5. Have a plan for how you will deliver customer support

Your subscription app launch is fast approaching. Your attention needs to turn to product operations. The most important item for your launch checklist item concerns customer support.

How will you deliver support once you get to market? App ecosystems are indirect channels, so your data and insight into the customer and their purchase history is limited.

You can’t log in to App Store Connect and look up a subscriber. Nor is there such a place inside of the Play Developer Console. This means your customers will be writing into support looking for help and you need a way to provide answers.

The solution involves two parts. First, you need clean and platform agnostic subscriber data. Second, you need to make that data available in a form that can be retrieved and understood by your support team.

At Nami, our #1 job is to help you create happy subscribers. Our Subscriber Experience Cloud provides the right foundation for delivering a great subscription app. To learn more, get in touch or book a demo.

   

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👉Read more: How to Optimize Your Subscription Apps

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new product documentation portal!

Built using the ReadMe platform, the new portal offer a more complete set of documentation for developers and product owners alike.

• Guides - Getting Started, Success Guides, SDK Setup, and more.
• API Reference - Client side API reference

We welcome your feedback and hope you enjoy the new documentation!

👉Designing a Mobile SDK

‍What Causes SKErrorDomain Code=2?

Error Code 2 is triggered by user action, specifically when the user backs out or cancels the purchase. This error may result from factors like user hesitation, unclear pricing, or unexpected charges. Though not an app fault, it’s essential to handle this response to prevent potential loss of purchase interest and encourage retrying.

‍

Common Scenarios for SKErrorDomain Code=2 - Cancelled

This error frequently arises in the following scenarios:

1. User Cancels Due to Unclear Pricing or Additional Fees: Users may abandon the purchase if they see unexpected costs.
2. Confusing or Unintuitive Purchase Flow: An overly complex purchase flow can frustrate users, leading them to cancel.
3. Testing Cancellations: During testing, developers or testers may intentionally cancel purchases to test cancellation handling.

‍

Step-by-Step Solutions for SKErrorDomain Code=2 - Cancelled

Solution 1: Implement a Cancellation Handler in StoreKit

• Purpose: Detects when the purchase flow is cancelled and provides an appropriate user response.
• Steps:

1. In your StoreKit implementation, add a cancellation handler to monitor when a transaction returns a cancelled status.
2. Display a message like, “Purchase cancelled. Would you like to try again?”
3. Give users an option to retry the purchase process.

• Result: This helps recover user interest and allows them to reattempt the purchase.

Solution 2: Simplify and Streamline the Purchase Flow

• Purpose: Reducing complexity in the purchase flow decreases cancellation likelihood.
• Steps:

1. Minimize steps in the purchase process to create a clear and smooth flow.
2. Use simple prompts and provide users with transparent purchase details.
3. Test the purchase process with a user-focused perspective to remove unnecessary screens or steps.

• Result: A streamlined flow improves user experience and reduces cancellations.

Solution 3: Display Transparent Pricing Information

• Purpose: Helps avoid cancellations by showing users clear pricing information, including any potential additional costs.
• Steps:

1. Show the total cost upfront in the initial purchase screen, including all applicable taxes or fees.
2. Add clarifications for recurring subscriptions or auto-renewal features.

• Result: Transparent pricing reduces user confusion and increases purchase completion rates.

Solution 4: Use Reminders to Encourage Purchase Re-attempts

• Purpose: Encourages users who have cancelled purchases to revisit the purchase opportunity later.
• Steps:

1. For cancelled transactions, consider adding an optional soft reminder for users to complete their purchase later.
2. Provide additional context or benefits of the purchase to enhance interest.

• Result: Non-intrusive reminders can help recover lost purchases without disrupting the user experience.

Solution 5: Gather Feedback to Improve the Purchase Experience

• Purpose: Helps developers understand why users cancel purchases and make adjustments to the purchase flow.
• Steps:

1. After a cancellation, offer an optional feedback form asking why they chose to exit.
2. Analyze feedback to identify common pain points or reasons for cancellation.
3. Use insights to optimize the purchase process.

• Result: Understanding cancellation reasons helps refine the purchase experience, ultimately reducing cancellations.

‍Conclusion

SKErrorDomain Code=2 - Cancelled, is triggered by user actions to exit the purchase process, which may happen due to various reasons. By implementing a cancellation handler, simplifying the purchase flow, displaying clear pricing, sending gentle reminders, and gathering user feedback, developers can improve the purchasing experience and reduce cancellations.

With Nami’s low-code solutions, developers can easily manage and optimize in-app purchases, eliminating the hassle of customizing the purchase flow. Find out more at NamiML.

For subscription businesses, subscribers are the lifeblood of success. Yet, not all potential subscribers discover your app by casually browsing the App Store or Google Play Store. Instead, many need a structured path to guide them from first contact to becoming loyal, paying customers.

Enter the web2app funnel—a powerful marketing strategy designed to seamlessly transition prospects from initial discovery to active subscription. By focusing on the five key stages of the funnel—awareness, interest, consideration, conversion, and retention—you can optimize every touchpoint to maximize engagement and drive conversions.

Web2app funnels excel at creating a smooth journey for people – from discovering your service on the web to fully engaging with your app, ensuring a cohesive and compelling experience at every stage.

Let’s explore how to fine-tune each stage of your funnel to boost subscriber acquisition and retention, and create an irresistible path from web to app.

Attract Potential Subscribers During the Awareness Stage

Whether people “google” for something specific or whether they stumble upon your business or its content by chance, the awareness stage is the first point where potential customers are made aware of your business. Get this right, and you can start to pull subscribers into your funnel.

You can consider using a combination of marketing channels to achieve this:

• Craft insightful blog posts that address potential subscribers' needs and interests, providing valuable information.
• Provide ebooks and whitepapers offering in-depth guides and reports to showcase the value of your subscription service.
• Design eye-catching infographics to highlight the benefits and features of your subscription offer in a digestible, visual format.
• Optimize SEO by targeting niche keywords, refining on-page elements, and securing high-quality backlinks to boost visibility and attract subscribers.
• Share interesting content on social media and engage with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to raise awareness.
• Use targeted ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to reach your target audience.
• Collaborate with influencers to amplify your reach and use sponsored content to authentically highlight your subscription’s unique benefits.
• Offer lead magnets such as exclusive content or free trials in exchange for email sign-ups to build your subscriber list.
• Send regular newsletters with engaging content and updates to keep potential subscribers informed and interested.
• Develop affiliate partnerships where affiliates promote your subscription service for a commission on new sign-ups.
• Launch a referral program that rewards current subscribers for bringing new members into your service.

👉Read more: 50 Mobile App Growth Hacking Tactics You Can Try Today

Generate Curiosity and Engagement as Prospects Get Interested

Once potential users are aware of your subscription service, the next step is to capture their curiosity and engage them further. At this stage, it’s essential to ignite their interest by clearly communicating what sets your subscription offering apart and how it can meet their needs. By creating engaging and relevant content, you can deepen their interest and guide them closer to considering paying for a subscription.

Consider utilizing various strategies to spark curiosity and keep prospects engaged:

• Emphasize unique features of your subscription service that set it apart and address the specific pain points or desires of your target audience.
• Outline tangible benefits that subscribers will receive, such as exclusive content, cost savings, or added convenience.
• Share success stories and testimonials from existing subscribers to build credibility and demonstrate the real-world value of your offerings.
• Provide free trials or demos to give potential subscribers a firsthand experience of your product, app or content’s value.
• Leverage user-generated content to build trust and validate the appeal of your subscription service.

Help Subscribers Assess Subscription Fit During the Consideration Phase

As prospects move into the consideration phase, they need to evaluate whether your subscription service aligns with their needs and preferences. This is the moment to provide them with the information and reassurance they need to make an informed decision. Addressing their concerns and offering a tangible sense of the service’s value can significantly influence their choice.

Here’s how you can help potential subscribers assess if your offering is the right fit for them:

• Develop a comprehensive FAQ section to answer common questions and alleviate potential concerns.
• Ensure excellent customer support to address any additional inquiries or issues quickly and effectively.
• Showcase positive reviews from satisfied subscribers to build trust and credibility.
• Offer a money-back guarantee to minimize perceived risk and encourage hesitant prospects to take action.
• Create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers to prompt immediate action and interest.
• Clearly communicate terms and conditions of the free trial or demo to avoid confusion.
• Support users with guided onboarding to help them get started smoothly and maximize their trial experience.

Transform Interest into Subscription

Converting interested prospects into actual subscribers requires a strategic approach to help them make the final leap from consideration to commitment. At this stage, it’s crucial to present compelling reasons to subscribe and make the process as easy and enticing as possible. By effectively addressing their final hesitations and showcasing the unique value of your service, you can encourage customers to take the plunge.

Focus on these tactics to turn interest into a subscription:

• Place clear and prominent download buttons on your website and landing pages with compelling language to encourage clicks.
• Optimize app store listings with relevant keywords, high-quality screenshots, and detailed descriptions to attract potential users.
• Ensure download pages are mobile-friendly to provide a smooth experience for users on mobile devices.
• Provide exclusive content or features that are only available within the app to add value.
• Give early access to new features or updates to entice users with the promise of cutting-edge functionalities or new content.
• Offer step-by-step guided tutorials to help users set up and navigate the app easily.
• Provide personalized recommendations based on user preferences and behavior to tailor the experience.
• Highlight quick wins and easy achievements to encourage early engagement and build momentum.
• Reinforce the app's value proposition during onboarding to remind users of the benefits and keep them motivated.

Foster Long-Term Loyalty for Retaining Subscribers

Securing subscribers is just the beginning; the real challenge lies in keeping them engaged and satisfied over the long term. After all, 70-80% revenue of a subscription business comes from existing subscribers. Building lasting loyalty involves providing ongoing value, exceptional support, and personalized experiences that reinforce their decision to stay subscribed. By focusing on their long-term satisfaction and engagement, you can enhance retention and encourage sustained loyalty.

Here’s how to foster long-term loyalty and retain your subscribers:

• Offer multiple communication channels such as email, live chat, and phone to make it easy for customers to reach your support team.
• Respond to inquiries quickly to minimize frustration and demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Develop a comprehensive knowledge base or FAQ section to provide self-help resources and answer common questions.
• Anticipate and address potential issues proactively to prevent problems and enhance the customer experience.
• Analyze user data to uncover individual preferences and behaviors, and identify the factors influencing why users choose to remain with or cancel your subscription.
• Provide personalized recommendations for products, features, or content based on user data to enhance relevance and engagement.
• Send targeted marketing messages tailored to customer interests and preferences to increase effectiveness.
• Use push notifications to deliver timely updates about new features, promotions, or personalized recommendations.
• Implement in-app messages to offer important information, provide support, or promote relevant content.

👉Read more: Mobile Growth: Develop Subscription-Based Apps

Maximizing Success with Web2App Funnels: From Acquisition to Retention

In the competitive world of subscription services, adopting effective strategies is crucial for driving both customer acquisition and retention. Web2app funnels provide a robust framework for guiding potential customers from their initial encounter with your service to becoming dedicated subscribers.

Understanding and optimizing the key elements of a web2app funnel can significantly enhance your business's performance. By attracting potential customers effectively and converting them into paying subscribers, you can increase your conversion rates. Enhancing the customer experience with seamless interactions and personalization fosters loyalty and ensures long-term growth. To achieve success, focus on attracting potential subscribers through strategic marketing, sparking their interest with a compelling value proposition, addressing their concerns during the consideration phase, creating a smooth transition to conversion, and ensuring ongoing engagement through exceptional support and personalized experiences.

By leveraging these strategies, your business can fully harness the potential of web2app funnel, positioning itself for sustained success in the dynamic subscription market.

       

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