Guideline 3.1.2(a) - Subscriptions: Removing Features Existing Subscribers Paid For

Apple is rejecting your app update because it removes or downgrades features that existing subscribers are currently paying for, or moves previously included features to a higher-priced tier. Apple considers this a violation of the subscription value promise -- users subscribed based on a specific feature set, and reducing that set while maintaining the price is not acceptable. This rejection typically occurs during major app redesigns, tier restructuring, or when features are moved from a lower tier to a higher one. The key issue is retroactivity: new subscribers can be offered different tiers, but existing subscribers must retain access to what they paid for at the price they agreed to. The compliant approach, and best for maintaining user trust, is to grandfather existing subscribers into their current feature set while offering the new tier structure only to new subscribers. This requires server-side logic to track when each subscription was initiated and what features were available at that time.