Subscription offer code and promotional offer review checklist

Choose the offer type by cohort

Offer codes can be useful for targeted distribution, events, support recovery, partnerships, or creator campaigns. Promotional offers can win back or upgrade existing or previously subscribed customers. These are different mechanics and should not share one generic discount plan.

Write the intended cohort, redemption channel, start date, end date, storefronts, and entitlement outcome before creating the offer. This prevents support from sending codes to users who cannot redeem them.

Make discount terms visible

• State duration, renewal price, billing period, and eligibility before redemption.
• Do not imply a permanent discount when the offer is temporary.
• Confirm localized currency and renewal copy for every target market.
• Explain whether users can combine the offer with trials, introductory offers, or other promotions.
• Keep redemption support separate from App Store billing management.

Test eligible and ineligible users

An offer that works for one sandbox account can fail for a real cohort with previous trial, active subscription, lapsed subscription, family-shared entitlement, or different storefront history.

AppReviewReady interpretation: build the offer around customer state, not campaign copy. The app should handle ineligible redemption gracefully and route users to the normal plan without contradictory pricing.

Run an offer redemption matrix

1. Redeem a one-time code, a custom code, and an in-app promotional offer where relevant.
2. Test active, expired, canceled, refunded, trial, family-shared, and never-subscribed states.
3. Verify entitlement during the offer, after offer duration ends, after renewal, and after cancellation.
4. Check App Store subscription management shows expected price and period.
5. Confirm support can identify whether an issue is code distribution, eligibility, or billing state.

Keep an offer review record

The record helps prevent stale campaign links from circulating after the offer ends. It also gives support a clear answer when a user cannot redeem a code.

For creator, affiliate, or partner campaigns, include distribution limits and revocation plans. The app should not depend on a public spreadsheet of codes or a link that continues promising a discount after inventory or eligibility changes.

When an offer ends, audit every entry point: landing pages, paywalls, push messages, custom product pages, email sequences, and support macros. Stale offer copy is a common source of refund requests.

If a code is distributed through a partner, keep a revocation contact and a maximum exposure number. The app should be ready for codes appearing outside the intended campaign audience.

Subscription offer record:
Offer type: [code, promotional]
Products: [ids]
Eligible cohort: [new, lapsed]
Duration/price: [terms]
Redemption path: [URL, in-app]
Ineligible behavior: [message]
Entitlement states tested: [list]