7. The Money Question: Monetisation & Payments
Ah yes, the part where you finally think: "Cool, I'll just add Stripe and start making money."
Wrong. This is Apple and Google's turf, and if you don't play by their rules, they'll kick you out of the store faster than you can say "recurring revenue."
Apple & Google's Golden Rule
If you want to take payments inside the app, you must use their systems:
Apple In-App Purchase (IAP)
Google Play Billing
No exceptions. No "but I already have Stripe set up on my website." If you try to sneak in your own payment flow, your app will get rejected in review. And if you somehow slip past? Enjoy your app being quietly delisted later.
It's their walled garden. You're just paying rent.
What This Means in Practice
Let's say you want to:
Sell subscriptions (like Netflix, Spotify).
Sell in-app credits (like Tinder boosts).
Sell one-time unlocks (like premium features).
All of it has to go through Apple/Google. Which means:
They take a cut (15–30%).
You're stuck with their reporting dashboards.
You have to play by their refund policies.
For indie founders, this is… let's say "annoying."
The Loophole (a.k.a. How Everyone Cheats)
Here's the trick:
If the payment happens inside the app, Apple/Google owns it.
If the payment happens outside the app (e.g. on your website), it's fair game.
This is why apps like Spotify push you to sign up on the web. They can't say "go to spotify.com/upgrade," but they can hint very heavily.
For CutCompass, that means:
All payments and subscriptions run through the Laravel web portal.
The app itself? Just the front-end experience.
This way Apple/Google can't take their 30% cut, and I keep control of Stripe and billing. It does mean you need to design your UX carefully, but it's the only way to stay profitable without losing a third of your revenue.
Expect Review Failures
Even if you play by the rules, you'll probably get rejected once or twice while Apple decides whether your app "complies."
Why? Because their guidelines are vague, inconsistent, and enforced by underpaid reviewers with a giant checklist.
So budget time for this. Don't assume you'll pass review first go.
Survival Tips
Subscriptions? Do them on the web. Make the app the portal, not the cash register.
In-app purchases? Only use them if you really need native billing (games, consumables).
Expect delays. Apple in particular loves rejecting first-timers "just because."
Be meticulous. Every payment detail must be documented properly in your store listing.
Rant Break: Why This Sucks
It's 2025. Stripe exists. PayPal exists. Every payment method under the sun exists.
And yet here we are, being forced to route payments through systems that feel like they were coded during the iTunes glory days.
Why? Because Apple and Google want their cut. That's it. Nothing more noble than that.
And yes, this policy has killed more startups than bugs ever did.
Coming Up Next
Now that the money side is (begrudgingly) sorted, we move into the next headache: Store Listings, Privacy and Age Ratings.
If you thought payments were painful, wait until you meet CocoaPods. Not-so-subtle foreshadowing.