Mobile subscription and upgrade journeys

A subscription journey runs from a clear paid benefit through plan choice, purchase, entitlement, management and outcome review. For in-app subscriptions, Apple uses App Store Connect and StoreKit, while Google Play uses the Play Billing Library and a secure backend; Telstra mobile-plan changes run through My Telstra. A trial start or purchase alone does not show whether someone received continuing value.

Start with the reason to pay

List what the free experience can do and what each paid plan adds. Describe the difference as a task or outcome. Check that every promised feature is available to the audience seeing the offer, and put material account, device or service conditions beside the promise.

Show an upgrade invitation when the paid difference becomes relevant, such as when someone approaches a genuine free-plan limit. Let people finish unrelated tasks. A route to compare plans can serve those who are ready without repeatedly interrupting others.

Make the plan decision understandable

Before purchase, show the plan name, included access, billing period and full amount charged. If an introductory price differs from the later renewal price, show both. For a trial, state its length, when payment begins, the amount then due and how to cancel.

Do not make a monthly equivalent more prominent than the annual amount someone will actually pay. Check the currency and terms shown to customers in the relevant Australian storefront.

For Apple offers, check the app’s offer screen and App Store purchase flow against the App Review Guidelines and Human Interface Guidelines. Confirm current store requirements before publishing.

Treat purchase and access as different states

After a verified purchase, show what access is available and keep the app’s entitlement aligned with the current subscription state. A dismissed purchase sheet does not establish a purchase. Cancellation does not necessarily end access immediately.

For any billing route, confirm the effective date and access before explaining the change to a customer.

Prepare the service behind the offer

For an Apple subscription, configure products in App Store Connect and use StoreKit APIs in the app. Assign each subscription to a group, then set its name, price and description; the group lets people choose among subscriptions with different access levels, prices and durations. Check that subscriptions are available across the device types the app supports.

Apple points to examples such as new game levels, episodic content, cloud support, substantive updates, or access to content libraries. Plan for regular feature enhancements or expanded content so that the paid benefit is maintained after the initial purchase.

Build subscription-status checks and plan changes into the service. Apple recommends showing subscription status in the app, offering upgrade, crossgrade and downgrade options, and giving subscribers a way to manage or turn off auto-renewal. App Store Server API and App Store Server Notifications provide real-time status changes that can keep the account view current.

Apple says auto-renewable subscriptions have a different net-revenue structure from other App Store business models, with 85% net revenue after one year. Include this platform revenue outcome in reviews separately from customer price and paid-feature use.

On Google Play, use the Play Billing Library and process new purchases on a secure backend rather than granting access solely from an in-app event. Use the purchase token with purchases.subscriptionsv2.get to retrieve the current subscription resource, verify the purchase and grant access only when subscriptionState is SUBSCRIPTION_STATE_ACTIVE. A SubscriptionNotification can prompt the backend to refresh status.

Google’s lifecycle guidance says new apps and updates must use Play Billing Library version 8 or later from 31 August 2026; an extension can be requested until 1 November 2026. Check the deployed version as part of release readiness.

A mobile-plan change can also involve account-specific steps and eligibility. Telstra’s My Telstra route is to select the service, open “View or manage your plan”, choose “Change your plan”, review the new plan details and confirm the selection. Customers can check their plan end date and any charges that may apply in the app before changing.

Support the whole relationship

Give subscribers a place to see their plan and reach the correct management route. For Apple, include in-app subscription status and a way to manage or turn off auto-renewal, alongside available upgrade, crossgrade and downgrade choices. For Google Play, use the verified subscription state from the backend as the account’s access record.

If renewal fails, check the current state before changing access. Explain what access the person has now and tell them where they can address the payment issue.

Review trial starts, first paid periods and later paid renewals separately; a recent trial has not had its full chance to convert. Pair subscription outcomes with a product-specific measure of useful paid-feature use.

The effect of a change can depend on the existing plan. Telstra says month-to-month mobile or data customers can change plans without a fee, while customers on older contracted plans may face a cost if still in contract. An Upfront Mobile customer can upgrade a phone and keep the current plan; customers on other plan types may need to take a new Upfront Mobile plan, which cancels the current plan.

A Telstra phone upgrade follows a separate route: choose a phone, add a new Upfront Mobile Plan or keep an eligible existing plan, then add both to the cart and check out. Have employment and income details ready to complete the upgrade.

Key Subscription Metrics and Outcomes (Australia)