Definition
What a promotional offer is
A promotional offer is a discounted price you can give existing or previously subscribed customers on the App Store, to retain a subscriber who is thinking about cancelling, win back one who already cancelled, or move someone to a higher subscription tier at a special price. It uses the same three discount shapes as an introductory offer (a free period, a discounted price each period, or a discounted one-time payment), but the audience is the opposite.
The defining rule is who it targets. An introductory offer is for NEW subscribers, one per subscription group. A promotional offer is for people who have ALREADY subscribed. A customer can accept a promotional offer even if they previously used an introductory offer, and you can have up to 10 active promotional offers per subscription. This is the tool you reach for when you want to bring a churned user back, which an introductory offer cannot do.
Win-back offers
Win-back offers are a specialized promotional offer aimed specifically at lapsed subscribers, available on the App Store more recently. They are configured per subscription product, and a customer is only eligible for the most recently lapsed product in a group. You define eligibility by minimum paid duration (how long they subscribed before cancelling) and time since last subscribed (how long they have been gone). Apple allows up to 350 win-back offers per subscription, with a maximum of 5 running per storefront at once.
How it differs from an offer code
A promotional offer is not an offer code. Offer codes are alphanumeric codes you distribute for a specific deal. A promotional offer is presented in-app to eligible existing or lapsed subscribers, and on Apple it requires a signed offer: your server generates a cryptographic signature that your app passes to StoreKit at purchase. The three mechanisms (introductory offers, promotional offers, and offer codes) look similar in App Store Connect but target different people and are configured differently.
The pricing angle
Like an introductory offer, a promotional offer is a discount off your standard price, set per country on the same price-point ladder. If the standard price is a raw currency conversion that does not fit the market, the promotional discount inherits that problem. A win-back discount off a price that was already too expensive in India brings back very few subscribers. The offer decides who and when; the localized base price decides whether the discounted number actually works in the market.
Examples
A win-back offer
A subscriber in Brazil paid for your app for four months, then cancelled two months ago. You configure a win-back offer with a minimum paid duration of three months and a minimum lapsed time of one month, so this person qualifies. They see a promotional offer of 50% off for three months if they resubscribe.
That only works if your standard Brazil price was localized to begin with. Half off a price that already fit local purchasing power is a genuine deal. Half off a raw dollar-converted price that was three times too high is still too expensive, and the win-back barely moves.
Frequently asked
What is a promotional offer on the App Store?
A promotional offer is a discounted subscription price for existing or previously subscribed customers, used to retain a subscriber, win back one who cancelled, or upsell to a higher tier. It uses the same discount shapes as an introductory offer but targets people who have already subscribed, not new ones.
What is the difference between a promotional offer and an introductory offer?
An introductory offer is for NEW subscribers, one per subscription group, shown automatically to eligible users. A promotional offer is for EXISTING or lapsed subscribers, and a customer can take one even after using an introductory offer. Use an introductory offer to acquire, a promotional offer to retain or win back.
What is a win-back offer?
A win-back offer is a type of promotional offer aimed at lapsed subscribers who already cancelled. It is configured per subscription product, with eligibility set by minimum paid duration and time since last subscribed. Apple allows up to 350 win-back offers per subscription, with up to 5 active per storefront.
Can a subscriber get a promotional offer after an introductory offer?
Yes. A customer can accept a promotional offer even if they already used an introductory offer for that subscription. This is what makes promotional offers the tool for retention and win-back, where introductory offers, which are one-time and for new subscribers, do not apply.