How to set up in-app purchases on Bubble

TL;DR: Setting up in-app purchases means creating subscription products in App Store Connect and Google Play Console, then connecting them to Bubble. From there, Bubble tracks subscription status and syncs it to your database automatically, so you don’t need a third-party billing tool. You’ll still sign store agreements, add a Restore Purchases action, and test with sandbox accounts before you submit.

If you want to charge for subscriptions in your mobile app, you'll notice Apple and Google won’t let you just plug in Stripe. They require native billing for digital subscriptions. Bubble connects directly to both stores from one setup flow in the editor, so you’re not stuck building a payment integration from scratch.

In this guide, you’ll set up subscription products in both stores, connect them to Bubble, and configure the logic that controls who gets access. Once your app is live, you can publish updates to both stores with one click, and ship small UI fixes through over-the-air updates without waiting on app store review.

What are in-app purchases, and when do you need them?

An in-app purchase (IAP) is any purchase someone makes inside your app instead of paying on a website, like subscribing to a premium tier. Apple and Google require you to use their approved systems for digital content and subscriptions (with some regional exceptions), and apps that bypass those billing systems get rejected.

There are three main types of in-app purchases:

• Consumable: Purchased and used up, like in-game currency or extra credits that deplete with use.
• Non-consumable: Purchased once and kept forever, like a one-time unlock for a premium feature.
• Subscription: Recurring access to content or features, billed monthly or annually. It’s the type Bubble supports today, and it brings in more revenue than consumables and non-consumables combined.

What do you need before setting up in-app purchases?

Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:

• An Apple Developer account: Required to access App Store Connect and create subscription products. It costs $99 a year.
• A Google Play Developer account: Required to access Google Play Console and create subscription products. It’s a one-time $25 fee.
• Signed agreements and banking information: Both Apple and Google require you to sign their paid-app agreements and submit banking and tax details before you can charge for anything. You’ll find this in App Store Connect under Agreements, Tax, and Banking, and in Google Play Console under the Payments profile setup.
• App records in each store: Your app needs to exist as a record in App Store Connect and Google Play Console before you can add subscription products to it. For Google Play, also upload an Android build to the internal testing track after you enable in-app purchases.
• A Bubble app with native mobile enabled: In-app purchases are a native mobile feature, so your project needs the native mobile editor turned on.

How do you set up in-app purchases across Apple, Google, and Bubble?

How to configure subscriptions in App Store Connect

This is where you create the subscription product Apple will bill your users for. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to App Store Connect and select your app.
2. Go to Monetization in the left navigation, then select Subscriptions.
3. Create a subscription group. A subscription group is a container that holds related subscription tiers (for example, a Monthly plan and an Annual plan for the same product). Name it something that describes what the subscription unlocks.
4. Add a subscription inside the group. Set the product ID (a unique identifier you create, such as com.yourapp.monthly), the duration (monthly or annual), and the price tier.
5. Add a localized display name and description. This is what people see in the purchase sheet when they tap to subscribe.
6. Submit for review if prompted. Apple asks for a screenshot of where the subscription shows up in your app (like a paywall or upgrade screen), plus a quick note on how to find it. Bubble’s Apple IAP checklist covers everything you need before you submit.

Apple also lets you set up free trials or introductory pricing on eligible subscriptions, which is optional but common for subscription apps.

How to create subscription products in Google Play Console

This mirrors the Apple process, just with different terminology. Google calls the top-level item a subscription, with billing intervals set up as base plans inside it. Here’s how it works:

1. Log in to Google Play Console and select your app.
2. In the left navigation, go to Monetize, then Subscriptions.
3. Click Create subscription. Enter a product ID (for example, monthly_premium) and a name.
4. Add a base plan. A base plan defines the billing period (monthly or annual) and price for that subscription. A single subscription product can have multiple base plans, like one monthly option and one annual option.
5. Set pricing and availability by country or region.
6. Activate the subscription. Google Play won’t let you submit it for review or let anyone buy it until at least one base plan has pricing and country availability set.

Google Play also supports trials and promo codes if you want to offer them, configured right in the base plan settings.

How to connect and configure in-app purchases in Bubble

Once your store products exist, Bubble walks you through connecting them and setting up the subscription logic visually. You don't need to use code or a third-party billing library. Here’s how it works:

1. Open your Bubble app and navigate to the in-app purchases settings in the native mobile section of the editor.
2. Connect your Apple and Google developer credentials in Bubble’s IAP settings, including your Apple private key, Key ID, App Apple ID, and Google notification configuration. Bubble validates each one as you go, so you catch mistakes before they reach the stores.
3. Enter the product IDs you created in App Store Connect and Google Play Console. These must match exactly. Copy them directly from the store consoles to avoid typos.
4. Link each Bubble billing variant to its matching Apple subscription group and product ID, and to the matching Google subscription and base plan IDs. If you’re running multiple tiers, like Basic, Pro, and Enterprise, map each one separately.
5. Set up entitlement logic using Bubble’s subscription operators, at the group or tier level, so your workflows know who has access to what.
6. Set up Apple’s and Google’s billing notifications (Google’s uses Pub/Sub for real-time updates). Once these are in place, Bubble validates receipts and keeps the Subscription Purchases table current on its own. You won’t need to use any subscription-management services for this.
7. Add a Restore Purchases action so people can recover a subscription after reinstalling or switching devices. Both Apple and Google require it, and skipping it is a common reason apps get rejected.

All of this access logic uses the Subscription Purchases table as its one source of truth. Bubble keeps it updated automatically, so treat it as read-only and let your workflows read from it instead.

An entitlement, in practice, is a record that says someone paid and should have access, and your workflows use that record to unlock premium content for active subscribers or send free users to a paywall.

Backend workflows are fine for side effects like emails or analytics, but don’t use them to edit subscription records directly.

How do you test in-app purchases before going live?

Testing happens in two stages. First on Bubble, without touching real store systems, then in Apple’s and Google’s own sandbox environments before you submit. If you skip either stage, you’re much more likely to get rejected.

Bubble simulated testing: BubbleGo and Web Preview let you simulate subscription flows right in your development database. Test active, canceled, or whatever state you need. These simulations fire the same backend workflow events as a real purchase, without ever touching Apple or Google, so you can check your logic before you move to sandbox testing.

Apple sandbox testing: Create a sandbox tester account in App Store Connect, under Users and Access. On a real device (not a simulator), sign out of your personal Apple ID in the App Store settings, then sign in with the sandbox account to make test purchases through TestFlight. You’ll go through the full purchase flow, including subscriptions, free trials, and cancellations, without ever getting charged.

Google Play testing: Add tester emails to your app’s internal testing track in Google Play Console, then use Google’s license testing feature or a test payment method to run through purchase flows without a real charge.

Whichever store you’re testing on, look for the right name and price on the payment sheet, the subscription activating and updating the Subscription Purchases table, and renewals and cancellations syncing correctly. Then walk through it yourself by tapping Subscribe.

How does a mobile subscription app get set up, start to finish?

Here’s the full checklist with everything you need to complete, in order, from accounts to launch.

1. Sign agreements and set up banking. Complete Apple’s Paid Applications Agreement in App Store Connect and set up your Payments profile in Google Play Console. Neither store processes paid purchases until this is done, and verification can take a while, so get it out of the way early.
2. Create your app records in both stores. Your app needs to exist as a record in App Store Connect and Google Play Console before you can attach subscription products to it. You can do this before your app is even fully built.
3. Create subscription products in App Store Connect. Set up a subscription group, add your tiers with product IDs, set pricing, and add localized display names. If you want free trials, configure introductory offers here too.
4. Create subscription products in Google Play Console. Set up subscriptions with active base plans for each billing variant, set pricing by region, and link the IDs to the matching billing variant in Bubble. Don’t forget the Android build; upload it to the internal testing track after you enable in-app purchases.
5. Connect store credentials in Bubble. Enter your Apple and Google setup values in Bubble’s IAP settings: your Apple private key, Key ID, App Apple ID, and Google notification configuration. Bubble checks each one and flags errors before they reach the stores.
6. Map product IDs in Bubble. Enter the exact product IDs from both stores and configure your subscription plan tiers. Spelling and capitalization need to match perfectly, so double-check them.
7. Set up entitlement logic. Use Bubble’s subscription operators and visual workflows to grant or restrict access based on subscription status. Bubble tracks that status automatically in the Subscription Purchases table.
8. Test with sandbox accounts. Start with simulated subscription flows in BubbleGo or Web Preview, then move to Apple’s TestFlight sandbox accounts and Google Play testing tracks to validate the real purchase experience. Cover subscriptions, renewals, cancellations, and edge cases like expired payment methods.
9. Submit your app build. Use Bubble’s one-click publishing to send your build to App Store review and Google Play review. Both stores review apps and subscriptions before they go live, and how long that takes varies.

Once your app is approved and live, subscription status, renewals, and cancellations keep syncing to your Bubble database automatically. You won’t need to maintain any of it by hand.

Start setting up your in-app purchases

You don’t need to be a mobile developer to launch subscriptions in your app. Bubble connects to Apple’s and Google’s billing systems from one place, and once you’re set up, it tracks entitlements for you automatically.

Turn on the native mobile editor, work through the steps above, and get your first subscription live.

Frequently asked questions about in-app purchases on Bubble

Can I use Stripe or another payment processor instead of Apple and Google’s billing systems for subscriptions?

In most cases, no. Apple and Google require subscriptions and other digital purchases inside a native mobile app to go through their own billing systems, so using a processor like Stripe instead typically gets your app rejected. Some regions and app categories qualify for exceptions, like external-link or alternative billing options, so it’s worth checking current Apple and Google policy for your app. Bubble’s in-app purchases guide breaks down when in-app purchases are and aren’t required.

What types of in-app purchases does Bubble’s feature currently support?

Bubble’s in-app purchases feature currently supports subscriptions, including monthly, annual, and tiered plans. Consumable purchases (like credits or tokens) and non-consumable purchases (like one-time unlocks) aren’t yet supported.

Does Bubble automatically track subscription renewals and cancellations in my database?

Yes. Bubble validates receipts, updates the Subscription Purchases table, and keeps subscription state current automatically once you’ve finished the Apple and Google billing-notification setup. You don’t need a separate subscription-management service for this.

Do I need separate Apple and Google developer accounts to enable in-app purchases on both platforms?

Yes. You’ll need an Apple Developer account for App Store Connect and a Google Play Developer account for Google Play Console, and both need signed payment agreements and banking details on file before purchases can go live.

Can I offer a free trial period with my subscription on Bubble?

Yes. Both Apple and Google let you set up free trials in their subscription product settings. Once it’s configured in the store, the trial shows up automatically when someone goes through the purchase flow in your app.

How do I let users restore purchases on a new device?

Add a Restore Purchases action to your app, so people can recover a subscription after reinstalling or switching devices. Both Apple and Google require it, and skipping it is a common reason apps get rejected.

Can I sell physical goods or services with in-app purchases?

No, and you shouldn’t try to. In-app purchases are for digital content and features people use inside your app, like subscriptions or premium functionality. Physical goods and real-world services can go through other payment methods, including Stripe.