Sub Club by RevenueCat · Video summary
Roast my Paywall: March Edition | Sub Club Live ft. Vahe Baghdasaryan
Expert Vahe Baghdasaryan roasts paywalls, highlighting intro offer strategies, Apple's crackdown on discounts/external payments, and best practices for pricing and visual design.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key takeaways
- 💡Leveraging paid intro offers for trials can boost RPO by ~10%, particularly effective for utility apps or those with less competitive monthly pricing.02:42
- 🚀Review your app's intro offer strategy, particularly for paid trials, and consider testing it on utility apps or those with competitive monthly pricing.02:42
- 🔍Apple is cracking down on immediate discount paywalls (like second-chance offers) and external payment methods (Stripe/Apple Pay buttons not directing to an external browser); delaying discounts or using external browser redirects are workarounds, but risky.05:03
- 🔧Ensure your paywalls and discount offers are compliant with Apple's latest guidelines, especially regarding immediate discounts and external payment integrations.05:03
- ⚖️Apple's review process can be inconsistent; an app being approved doesn't guarantee compliance, and random reviews can lead to rejections or even paused payouts.06:27
- 📈External payment links are subject to potential future commissions from Apple, even with ongoing legal battles; developers should not rely on this indefinitely, especially outside the US where it's more restricted.11:42
Chapters
- 0:03🎯 Introduction to the live session
- 0:58🎯 Host introductions and background
- 2:24🎯 Current trends in paywall experimentation
- 4:44🎯 Apple's crackdown on discount paywalls
- 11:01🎯 Travel updates and app review insights
- 11:51🎯 Legal and regulatory updates from court cases
- 16:49🎯 Strategies for subscription choices
- 20:43🎯 Deep dive into paywall analysis
- 21:27🎯 Specific examples and recommendations
- 26:15🎯 Testing strategies and best practices
- 26:15🎯 Pricing examples and strategies
- 36:01🎯 Legal compliance and restrictions
- 50:09🎯 Effective call-to-actions (CTAs)
- 51:56🎯 Prepaywall onboarding and multi-step paywalls
- 1:01:07🎯 Final call for paywall submissions and upcoming events
The digest
High Level Overview
This session features Vahe Baghdasaryan, a monetization expert leading Tangent consultancy, critically reviewing submitted paywalls and sharing his insights on subscription strategies, experimentation results, and evolving App Store compliance. The conversation is essential for app developers, product managers, and monetization professionals who seek practical guidance on designing effective paywalls, leveraging pricing structures like intro offers, and navigating increasing scrutiny from Apple around in-app payments and discount mechanisms.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 6-minute article, 12 more sections, and every new episode from Sub Club by RevenueCat and the creators you follow.
- Structured Deep Dive
- 1. Paywall Experimentation and Intro Offer Trends (00:00–04:40)
- 2. Increasing Apple Enforcement on Paywall Policies (04:40–11:10)
- 3. Legal Context Around External Payments (11:10–15:00)
- 4. Paywall Submission Reviews and Feedback (21:00–59:00)
- 5. Emerging Best Practices and Design Suggestions (throughout examples)
- Key Frameworks and Models
- Multi-State Paywall Framework
- Price Anchoring Principle
- Apple App Store Compliance Mental Model
- Practical Implications & Takeaways
- Action-Oriented Summary
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