Buy Button on iOS: A developer’s guide to doing it right

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Buy Button on iOS: A developer’s guide to doing it right

June 9, 2025•4 min

What’s changed and why it matters

As of April 2025, Apple now allows iOS developers to add external purchase links in the U.S. This means you can drive in-app purchases through the web, reduce platform fees, and regain control over your player relationships and monetization strategy. When implemented correctly, Buy Button unlocks a fast, compliant, and scalable direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel with the potential to drive meaningful incremental revenue. Like any new monetization channel, Buy Button can be tricky to implement, and it may cause player resistance if the value isn’t immediately clear. That’s why we’ve pulled together practical tips to help you get it right from the start or make quick improvements if you’ve already added a link out to purchase to your iOS game.

When to use Buy Button in-game

Rolling out Buy Button should be gradual and data-informed. Start small, run A/B tests, and validate performance before scaling to more placements or SKUs. The best place to start is with impulse-driven purchases, where timing, emotion, and low friction are critical to conversion. These purchases are often situational and closely tied to gameplay: continuing after failure, running out of energy, or claiming a time-limited bonus. In these moments, players aren’t looking for deep value — they’re looking for speed. The shorter the path to purchase, the higher the likelihood of conversion. Any added friction risks breaking that intent.

How to stay within Apple’s rules

Buy Button is only permitted under specific platform and legal constraints. Failing to follow them can lead to App Store rejection. To stay compliant, you need to follow these simple rules:

Only use Buy Button in iOS builds distributed in the United States (E.U. expansion is coming soon)
Show external purchase links only to users in the allowed region
Open checkout in Safari, not in an in-app WebView
Link to the specific item the user is purchasing, not to your full store
Do not implement Buy Button on Android (Google Play) — it’s still restricted on that platform

How to design a checkout experience that converts

The goal of your link out to purchase flow is simple: maximize checkout conversion without disrupting gameplay. A well-designed link out experience should feel like a seamless part of the game, not a context switch to an external site. There are a few core principles designed to keep the flow seamless and maximize conversion from checkout display to completed payment:

Link to a specific item, not a storefront. Avoid sending players to a general store where they might get distracted or fail to find the offer.
Use pre-authenticated links. Skip login steps to reduce drop-off and instead identify the user instantly.
Enable Apple Pay one-tap checkout. One-tap payments are standard on mobile and should be paired with localized payment methods.
Match the visual style of your checkout to your game. Reinforce trust and consistency across the user experience.
Automatically redirect the player back into the game after purchase. Since most offers are tied to gameplay outcomes, players should return via a deep link with their reward already applied.

How to design offers that drive adoption

Remember, players can always choose to pay through Apple. Clicking a Buy Button is optional, so you need to make it feel worthwhile. While discounts are the most obvious incentive, we recommend focusing on added value instead. Discounts erode margin and create long-term pricing expectations. Value-based offers, on the other hand, preserve price integrity and encourage loyalty-driven behavior. We recommend you implement these offer mechanics: Direct purchase-only bonus content

Clearly communicate that the player gets more for the same price, e.g. “$4.99 • +20% Gems (web bonus)”

Loyalty points or cashback for every web checkout

One of the most effective ways to build a new habit is to reward players for using the Buy Button.
This keeps players inside your ecosystem, allows you to loop them into long-term monetization logic, and incentivizes them to spend more over time.
Players earn points and can redeem them for offers or use cashback as partial payment for the next purchase.

Checkout-integrated upsells

After the first item is purchased, offer an additional deal, like “Spend your loyalty points now to unlock +50% more value!”
This leverages the momentum of an active payer and pushes them into deeper monetization tiers.

Get started today

The ability to link out to purchases in iOS is now live and usable under clear, predictable conditions.
This is the time to experiment with external purchase links, optimize your purchase flows, and make D2C a core part of your mobile strategy. Success depends on testing. We recommend A/B testing Buy Button to identify the highest-performing use cases and cohorts. Xsolla has supported mobile developers since the earliest days of Web Shops. With Buy Button, we continue our mission to help you go direct-to-consumer, grow faster, and stay in control. Launch your external purchases now