MagLoft allows you to offer auto-renewable subscriptions to your magazine. At this moment, it’s important to note that you currently need to manually log into your Google Play developer accounts to create in-app purchases.

We are working on ways to automate this but until that is completed you will need to do this manually. Please find below the steps on what to do when you want to offer subscriptions in Google Developer Console.

Please note these steps are specifically if you want to set up subscriptions. If you want to set up a single paid issue, kindly check out our article here.

If you want to offer subscriptions, your issues will need to have either the Paid or Subscribe unlock type.

Please note that issues set as Paid can be unlocked either via subscriptions or purchasing it as an individual issue, while issues set as Subscribe can only be unlocked via subscriptions.

After setting up the issues unlock type, go to the Portal > Sales > App Subscriptions to set up the subscriptions you want to offer.

You need to set up the duration of the subscription, trial period, title, description, price, and unlock type.

There are two different unlock types for subscriptions: Unlock Latest Issue and Unlock All Backissue.

If you choose the unlock type to be Unlock Latest Issue, readers who purchased this subscription will only unlock one (1) issue (which is the latest one) first and then will continue to unlock the future issues during his active subscriptions.

For example, A reader purchased the subscriptions on 30th of August, and the latest issue that is published live in the app when he purchased it was the August issue. He will then unlock the August issue immediately upon purchasing the subscription, and all of the future issues available as long as his subscription status remains active.

The other unlock type is Unlock All Backissue, which means that readers who purchased this subscription will unlock all of the back issues available before his subscription date, and then will continue to unlock future issues during his active subscriptions.

Taking the example above, if the subscription was set to unlock all back issue, the reader who purchased it will not only unlock the August issue. He will unlock all of the other issues available within the app that is published before his subscription date, and all of the future issues available as long as his subscription status remains active.

You will also need to pay attention to the product IDs available within the App Subscriptions set up. These Product IDs have been separated into each platform available (Apple, Google, Amazon, Web App).

To create the subscriptions in Google Play Console, you need to use the Product IDs available in the field with Android icon as shown:

1. Go to your Developer Console

2. Click on your magazine app

3. On the left sidebar menu, select Store Presence > In-app Products > Subscriptions

You will then see a page with a list of all of your subscriptions (if any). Click Create Subscriptions.

You will then be asked to fill out the Product ID, Subscription Name, and Description.

Also set up the Duration and Price of the subscription. You can also set up the free trial, introductory price, and grace period here.

6. You will be required to complete the following:

When all are completed, click on the SAVE button that is shown. Click on it and your in-app subscription is submitted. It usually takes a few hours to be approved by Google.