Definition
What a retention offer is
A retention offer is a discount or a free period for an auto-renewable subscription. Subscribers see it only through a retention message, on the App Store's cancel screen. Apple made retention offers available in App Store Connect and in App Store Connect API 4.6 on 4 November 2026.
You can make it pay as you go, pay up front or free. Each offer has a reference name and an identifier, and Apple says you can track sales by that identifier in Sales and Trends and in StoreKit transactions. In a signed transaction a redeemed retention offer has an offerType of 5.
The limits
- 10 active retention offers per billing plan type, and one message can hold all 10.
- The App Store chooses the best offer for each eligible subscriber.
- The subscriber needs a minimum paid period: 1 to 24, 36, 48 or 60 months.
- You can make people wait 2 to 24 months before redeeming the same offer again. This applies per offer.
- Identifiers allow only letters, numbers, underscores and periods.
Prices are locked after creation
You set all prices when you create the offer. After that Apple lets you change only the eligibility rules. I measured this on Apple's API on 5 November 2026: a PATCH with prices is refused with a 409. An identifier can't be used again either, even after you delete the offer.
So a new price means a new offer with a new identifier. If the old offer was on your message, you also move the message to the new one.
How it differs from other App Store offers
A promotional offer is also for existing subscribers, but you present it in your own app with a signature, and its prices can be updated. The real-time Retention Messaging API uses promotional offers in the cancel flow, while the App Store Connect version uses retention offers.
A win-back offer is for people whose subscription already ended. An introductory offer is for new subscribers.
Examples
Half price, country by country
You sell a $19.99 subscription and want 50% off, so you type $9.99 for the US. App Store Connect calculates the other countries from recent exchange rates, and you can change any of them by hand before you save.
If you localized that subscription for India at about ₹680, an exchange rate conversion of $9.99 is about ₹950. That is about 40% above the subscription, so it isn't a discount there. This example is calculated from those two numbers, so check your own price list before you save, because you can't fix it afterwards.
Frequently asked
Can I change the price of an App Store retention offer?
No. Apple locks the prices when you create the offer, and only the eligibility rules can change afterwards. To use a new price you create a new offer with a new identifier.
Can I reuse a retention offer identifier after deleting the offer?
No. Apple refuses it, with the message that offer IDs cannot be reused, even after deletion.
How many retention offers can a subscription have?
10 active offers per billing plan type. Apple counts a standard billing plan and a monthly plan with a 12-month commitment as separate types, and one message can hold all 10.
Can someone on a free trial get a retention offer?
No. The eligibility rule starts at 1 month of paid subscription, so someone cancelling a free trial doesn't qualify yet.