Are real products needed for In App purchase testing?

Question

I'd like to test In App purchasing with my test user. However, it seems as though I need to create a real product and associate that to a real app. This product is then searchable in iTunes. If I'm only testing, I don't want the product searchable in iTunes. Can anyone shed a little light on that aspect of the testing experience for In App purchasing?

Answer 1

When you create In App Purchase items, initially you can see them in your app for testing but they won't be visible to anybody else.

When you're done testing, you use the "Approve" button in iTunes Connect and then (presumably after Apple's review) they go live.

Answer 2

You can create a real app, just don't upload a binary for it. You can then add in-app purchases through iTunes connect.

Sadly, I can't yet get my code to find any of the purchases, but rumour has it that you need to upload a binary, and then reject it. It's all rumour mind, so there could well be something else going wrong.

On managing in-app purchases, it looks like they expect you to be able to test BEFORE you approve, so it should work... the question, is how? Hopefully my answer will get you at least to where I am however!

Answer 3

You do have to create the product within iTunes connect, as well as setting up the appropriate information in the portal (you can't use a 'generic' provision with in-app purchase, and have to enable it specifically). You don't have to upload a binary or anything, however.