Apple’s App Store policies have been the subject of lawsuits and controversy in recent times. However, the company could be in for another controversy because the company is pilot testing a feature that allows developers to charge increased prices for in-app purchase (IAP) subscriptions automatically.

The change was spotted by several people including developer Max Seelemann who tweeted about it. He said that his Disney+ subscription increased and Apple just notified him about it and billed him anyway instead of seeking confirmation first. Several other users responded saying they noticed the issue as well.

Meanwhile, developer documentation on Apple’s website says App Store subscriptions should not work this way. It still reads that prior approval of the customer is required before the new prices can be billed. The revised prices should be shown in the consent sheet that automatically displays in the app being used.

iOS biz people… Subscription price increase as mere NOTICE instead of having to confirm, else subs expires.

Is this new behavior for everyone or exclusive to Disney+? pic.twitter.com/zt7c15QcTA

— Max Seelemann (@macguru17) March 24, 2022

When approached for comment about the App Store policy change, Apple told TechCrunch:

“We are piloting a new commerce feature we plan to launch very soon. The pilot includes developers across various app categories, organization sizes, and regions to help test an upcoming enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users, and we’ll have more details to share in the coming week.”

The cause for concern for scores of app users is that instead of giving an option to cancel the subscription after the price revision, Apple just tells the users the price was changed.

Do you think Apple should revert to the old system where it seeks your approval for IAP price changes? Or are you comfortable being notified about the new prices and then being billed for it? Tell us what you think.