How to Fix App Store Guideline 2.1(b) First In-App Purchase Rejection
Put a first In-App Purchase, subscription group, and app version into the same App Review submission after an Apple Guideline 2.1(b) rejection.
Direct answer
Do not resubmit the app version by itself. For the first In-App Purchase of a product type, Apple requires a new app version in the same draft submission. In App Store Connect, open Monetization → In-App Purchases or Subscriptions, choose the product, click Add for Review, add the required app version and any new subscription group to that draft, confirm that every item is listed, and then submit the draft once. If App Store Connect will not let the product and version enter the same draft, preserve the item and submission IDs and escalate the blocked state instead of uploading another speculative build.
What this rejection usually means
A 2.1(b) rejection in this situation usually means the reviewer can see a paid feature in the binary but cannot review the matching product. A product that is configured or marked ready is not necessarily part of the app version's App Review submission. Under Apple's current workflow, the first consumable, non-consumable, auto-renewable subscription, or non-renewing subscription of each type must travel with a new app version, and all items being reviewed together must appear in one draft submission.
Likely rejection signals
- The rejection says an In-App Purchase or subscription referenced in the app was not submitted for review
- The app version and product appear in separate draft submissions or different review states
- The product is configured, but the active draft lists only the app version
- A new subscription is present without its unapproved subscription group in the same submission
- Add for Review asks for an app version, but no eligible version can be selected
Recovery plan
- Confirm whether this is the first product of its type. Apple requires the first consumable, non-consumable, auto-renewable subscription, and non-renewing subscription of each type to be submitted with a new app version. Later products of an approved type may be submitted separately when the app already has an approved version.
- Complete every required product field before packaging the submission: reference name, product ID, localization, price and availability, App Review screenshot, and review notes. For a new subscription, also verify its subscription group and at least one included subscription.
- Open the app in App Store Connect, go to Monetization → In-App Purchases or Subscriptions, select the item, and click Add for Review. Choose the existing draft that should contain the app version, or create one draft and select the required platform and version.
- Add every product that the reviewer must exercise to that same draft. If a subscription group is not yet approved, include the group as well. Before submission, verify that the draft visibly lists the app version, group when required, and each product.
- Test the exact build with a Sandbox Apple Account. Verify product loading, purchase, cancellation or expiration state where applicable, and restore behavior. Keep the backend and reviewer account available, and describe the shortest purchase path in Notes for Review.
- Submit the combined draft once. If the version is already in another draft or a rejected submission, resolve that state deliberately before creating more drafts. Do not repeatedly resubmit a package that still omits the product.
- If the UI cannot place an eligible app version and product in the same draft, capture the full draft, product status, app version status, product ID, submission ID, and the exact disabled control or error. Send that evidence through the existing App Review conversation or Apple Developer Support and ask which submission state must be corrected.
Evidence to prepare
- Screenshot of the final draft listing the app version and every In-App Purchase or subscription
- Product IDs, product types, current statuses, and subscription group when applicable
- Submitted app version, build number, platform, and App Review submission ID
- Product review metadata, screenshot, and a numbered reviewer purchase path
- Sandbox recording covering product loading, purchase, and restore or entitlement refresh
- For a blocked draft, screenshots of the exact selector, banner, or error plus the relevant item IDs
Appeal or fix first?
Clarify or appeal when the exact rejected submission already contained the app version and every required product and you can prove it with the submission detail, item IDs, and a working review path. Ask the reviewer to identify the missing or inaccessible item rather than making unrelated binary changes.
Fix and resubmit when the product was only configured, sat in another draft, lacked required metadata, omitted its new subscription group, or was not listed beside the app version in the submitted draft. Correct the submission package before changing purchase code that already works.
Reviewer response framework
Your response should be factual, short, and limited to the submitted build. Cover these points:
- Name the affected product ID, product type, app version, and build number.
- Confirm that the app version, subscription group when required, and product now appear in the same App Review submission.
- Give the exact taps that expose the paid feature and purchase control in the submitted build.
- Provide the reviewer account or prerequisites and confirm the production backend is available.
- If the draft is blocked, describe the exact App Store Connect state and attach identifiers without claiming a backend bug as a certainty.
Frequently asked questions
Is a configured or ready In-App Purchase automatically included with my app review?
No. The product must be added for review and appear in the same draft submission as the required app version. Verify the contents of the draft before clicking Submit for Review.
Can I submit my first In-App Purchase without a new app version?
Apple says the first consumable, non-consumable, auto-renewable subscription, and non-renewing subscription of each type must be submitted with a new app version. After the first item of that type is approved, later items may be submitted without a new version if the app already has an approved version.
Should I delete and recreate an In-App Purchase when the draft is stuck?
Usually not as a first response. Preserve the product ID used by the build, remove conflicting draft state only when you understand its effect, and document the exact error for Apple if the eligible version and product cannot be combined.
Does a subscription group need to be in the submission?
If the subscription group has not been approved, Apple requires the new subscription and its group to be submitted together, with at least one subscription in the group.
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Source: Apple App Store Connect Help — Submit an In-App Purchase. Platform policies change. Verify the official rule before submitting. Resubmit AI provides technical and editorial decision support, not an approval guarantee or legal advice.