Existing Spotify subscribers who had been paying through Apple’s App Store can no longer make payments using this method, instead being moved into free accounts at the end of their current billing cycle and required to purchase paid plans through Spotify’s website.
Variety first reported on this development and noted that Spotify recently began emailing users with payment links using Apple App Store as their payment option. Spotify confirmed this move in a statement released to Variety.
Recent user notifications informed them of how a legacy payment method associated with their Premium accounts would soon become deprecated, prompting automatic conversion to Free accounts as of their next billing cycle and the ability to upgrade back into Premium by simply logging into Spotify.com if desired,” stated a company spokesperson.
Starting in 2016, Spotify discontinued offering subscriptions through in-app purchases for iPhone users starting two years prior. Subscriptions through Apple App Store have only been available since 2014. Following that change, iPhone users saw an in-app message saying, “You cannot upgrade to Premium in this app; We know this is not ideal”.
Spotify and Apple have long been at odds over Apple’s App Store fees. Now, the Cupertino-based firm is making its case before European regulators to dismiss antitrust charges brought by Spotify against it.
Spotify and Google had various disagreements regarding fees for purchases made through the Play Store in-app store; however, both companies signed an agreement last year that will enable Spotify to explore third-party billing options.
At its first quarter 2023 earnings call, Spotify revealed over 500 million monthly active users and over 210 million premium subscribers. (Audio Advertising)