Apple has allowed developers to give out app promo codes to press and in promotional giveaways for many years. Now the company has changed its App Store policies and will now also enable App Store developers to send out promo codes for in-app purchases. This is in addition to the promo code feature available for paid applications.
Promo codes are an effective way for app developers to promote their apps by allowing influential members of press, bloggers and social media users to download their app for free. By giving reviewers an opportunity to download a paid application for free developers can offer an incentive for the reviewer to try out their app, who might not do the same if the app costed them any amount of money.
The codes are limited to 100 promo codes for each in-app purchase and a total of 1,000 codes per app every six months.
In a short news blurb added to iTunes Connect, Apple shares more details about the new in-app purchases promo codes:
Give press and influencers early access to your app’s in-app purchases with in-app purchase promo codes. You can give away up to 100 promo codes for each in-app purchase item, up to a maximum of 1,000 codes per app, and the codes expire 28 days after they are generated.
You can request promo codes if you have an Admin, App Manager, or Marketer role in iTunes Connect.
The move will find a ready welcome, as developers now get the freedom to allow the press or influencers access to specific features of their app that used to be locked behind a paywall.
In-app purchase promo codes can be requested on iTunes Connect and are programmed to expire 28 days after they have been generated. In line with previous promotional code policy, they do not grant the receiver of the code the right to rate the app on the App Store once downloaded.
Source: Apple