App Store Server Notifications are Almost Useless

In 2017, Apple introduced server-to-server notifications to its in-app subscription system, aiming to alleviate the complexities developers faced with the previous reliance on polling through the /verifyReceipt endpoint. Although this feature was intended to streamline event-driven aspects of subscriptions, such as renewals and cancellations, it quickly became apparent that its execution was flawed. The notifications, while seemingly comprehensive, are often misleading or incomplete, requiring developers to continue frequent polling to ensure accurate subscription management. For instance, the RENEWAL and CANCEL notification types do not function as expected, with RENEWAL not indicating a standard subscription renewal and CANCEL being triggered only when a user cancels through customer support. The DID CHANGE RENEWAL PREF notification, which could provide valuable insights into user retention, fails to deliver actionable data, as it only activates when a user switches products within the same group. Due to these shortcomings, developers are left with a confusing and unreliable system, prompting companies like RevenueCat to develop their own solutions, offering a more coherent and developer-friendly approach to subscription notifications that supports both Android and iOS platforms.