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  •   3 months ago

RevenueCat Live Store + iOS Approval Time

I’m looking for clarification on the requirement to use a RevenueCat production key while distributing via TestFlight.

In order to enable subscriptions with a production key, Apple requires the subscription product to be approved through full App Review — even if the app is not being publicly released.

This process involves additional steps (privacy policy hosting, metadata, etc.) and a review period that may extend beyond the submission deadline.

Is there an alternative approach I may be missing that would allow production-key validation without requiring full subscription approval?

I just want to make sure I’m following the intended path and not overcomplicating the process unnecessarily. Thanks for any guidance.

  • 4 comments

  •   •   3 months ago

    Hi! You don't need an Apple-approved version of your app along with your subscriptions. Simply upload a build, add the subscriptions group, and verify that it's in "Ready for submit" status. However, in order to have a valid public link on TestFlight, you do need Apple to approve your app for beta testing, but this usually only takes 4 to 12 hours.

  • Manager   •   3 months ago

    You don’t need to fully submit your products for review. As long as your products are in a “ready to submit” state, they will work in the sandbox testing environment that TestFlight uses.

  •   •   3 months ago

    Thanks both ! That's really helpful.

  •   •   3 months ago

    Hey Charlie, Thanks for the clarification. But I still have this confusion,
    I have published my app on the App Store and obtained a public TestFlight URL. But the subscription hasn't been approved yet. I have submitted the full review to get it accepted, and it's currently in the "Waiting for review" state. But in TestFlight, the paywall isn't yet accessible and shows the error: "Error 11: There was a credentials issue. Check the underlying error for more details". Is that acceptable in the hackathon if the full review process takes time and the paywall isn't accessible during judging?

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