In-app purchases are one of the most powerful ways for mobile apps to generate revenue. Hundreds of millions of users around the world are willing to pay for premium features, game currency, or streaming subscriptions.

In-app purchases usually run through Apple’s StoreKit (on iOS) or Google Play Billing (on Android). While these frameworks make in-app purchases possible, they can be rigid and complex to maintain. What’s also frustrating for many developers is that they take a hefty commission, typically 15% or 30% of your revenue.

Stripe offers lower fees, a flexible checkout experience, and it’s already widely used for web payments.

So, can you use Stripe instead for in-app purchases? Until recently, the answer for mobile apps was most often: no.

That changed in April 2025.

What changed in 2025

A U.S. District Court ruling in Epic v. Apple opened the door for iOS apps in the United States to link out to external web checkout flows. Apple updated its App Store Review Guidelines shortly after, clarifying how developers can display external links and buttons to stay compliant.

This means:

  • If you follow Apple’s rules for how links are shown and handled, you can now direct iOS users to a web-based checkout
  • You keep more of your revenue
  • You still stay compliant with Apple’s App Store policies

This shift created a huge opportunity for developers, but also a new set of challenges. Stripe alone doesn’t solve issues like a smooth app-to-web checkout, entitlement syncing, or cross-platform data unification. That’s where RevenueCat can help.

How RevenueCat makes Stripe work for in-app purchases

Web Purchase Button

RevenueCat’s Web Purchase Button is the simplest way to start using Stripe for in-app purchases.

  • You drop a RevenueCat-hosted button into your in-app paywall.
  • U.S. iOS users see the option to check out on the web with Stripe, everyone else stays on native in-app purchases (IAP)
  • RevenueCat hosts the web checkout, processes the payment, and automatically refreshes entitlements
  • Users return to your app with premium access unlocked instantly

No custom coding. No compliance guesswork. No 30% cut.

Web Billing

RevenueCat Web Billing expands your options beyond in-app flows:

  • Build a no-code RevenueCat hosted checkout, or integrate directly via the Web SDK
  • Sell subscriptions on your website drawing traffic through ads, email, or organic channels
  • Web purchases unlock in-app instantly, even for users without an account
  • Sync entitlements across devices and platforms
  • Feed normalized subscription data into your analytics, CRM, and lifecycle tools

This means you can grow revenue outside the app stores while keeping a unified, accurate view of customer data across iOS, Android, and web.

Why Stripe + RevenueCat works better

Stripe is excellent at processing payments, but on its own, it doesn’t handle the rest of what makes in-app purchases seamless. That’s where RevenueCat comes in.

  • Seamless integration: RevenueCat embeds Stripe checkout directly into your in-app paywall with the Web Purchase Button — no separate flows, no clunky redirects
  • Frictionless checkout: Because RevenueCat handles the hosting and flow, users experience a checkout that feels native — removing barriers that cause drop-off
  • Instant entitlement sync: As soon as a payment is complete, RevenueCat syncs entitlements across devices so access is unlocked immediately
  • No web dev required: RevenueCat takes care of all the web hosting, coding, and backend complexity so you can use Stripe without needing web development experience

The downsides of Stripe purchases in-app

App-to-web purchases open up new opportunities, but they aren’t a silver bullet. In-app purchases still play a critical role in mobile monetization, and most users are familiar with and trust the native app store flow. Moving users out to a web checkout can often mean lower conversion rates compared to the streamlined, high-trust one-tap IAP experience.

In our work with Dipsea, we ran an A/B test moving iOS users from native IAP to web checkout. The result: a clear dip in conversion rates. That first-hand data is why we recommend treating Stripe flows as a complement to, not a replacement for, native IAP, and testing carefully before scaling.

This is why it’s important to approach app-to-web purchases strategically. RevenueCat gives you the tools to mitigate these risks:

  • A/B testing: Split traffic and compare IAP-only versus web-eligible paywalls in real time
  • Full funnel analytics: Understand both the immediate and long-term impact of moving users to a web checkout

With RevenueCat, you can balance the cost savings of Stripe with the proven conversion power of native IAP and make data-driven decisions on the right mix for your business.

TL;DR

Before 2025, Stripe wasn’t an option for in-app purchases. Today, after the Epic v. Apple ruling for the U.S., RevenueCat Web Billing, and the Web Purchase Button, you can:

  • Save up to 30% in fees
  • Sell subscriptions on web and in-app
  • Stay fully compliant with Apple’s rules
  • Unlock access instantly across platforms
  • Track and optimize every dollar of revenue

You no longer have to choose between compliance and profit. RevenueCat makes Stripe work for in-app purchases.

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