Accept Payments in iOS Games With Appcharge Payment Links

With recent changes to Apple’s guidelines in some regions, game developers can now direct players to external websites to complete purchases. This article describes how to use Appcharge’s no-code payment links to offer a seamless checkout experience. Players can buy digital content such as bundles, coin packs, or skins through a secure and branded page outside your app.

Appcharge serves as your comprehensive Merchant of Record (MoR) partner, providing:

Localized pricing
Tax calculation and payment
Fraud prevention and chargeback management
No-code payment link generation
Customizable checkout experiences

How it works

When a player selects an offer in your game, such as a coin pack or a character skin, it triggers the checkout process below:

Step 1 | Send a purchase request

Send a server-to server request to the Appcharge's Create Checkout Session API. The request includes:

Offer details: Names, IDs, and images
Pricing: The amount the player will be charged

Appcharge then processes the request and returns the following checkout details:

Parameter	Type	Description
`checkoutSessionToken`	String	A unique token that identifies and validates the checkout session. Use this token to authenticate or verify the transaction at later stages of the flow.
`purchaseId`	String	A unique ID for the purchase. This can be used to track the transaction in your system or correlate with game-specific purchase logic.
`url`	URL	A link to the hosted Appcharge checkout page. Direct your player to this URL to begin the payment process.

Step 2 | Redirect the player to checkout

Your game redirects the player to the provided checkout URL. The player sees a secure payment page hosted by Appcharge where they can complete the purchase.

Step 3 | Player completes the payment

The player selects a payment method and confirms the purchase. Appcharge processes the transaction securely in the background.

Step 4 | Post-payment redirect

After the payment is successful, the player is automatically redirected to a predefined URL, typically back into your game. Your game then verifies the transaction with your backend and grants the purchased items.

Customize your checkout

Use the Appcharge builder to customize your checkout page and receipts. With the Appcharge Publisher Dashboard, you can fully customize your checkout experience. You can change colors, fonts, text, and the available payment methods for each country. You can also personalize customer receipts by adding your logo, images, and other brand elements.

Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) integration

If you're using a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) like AppsFlyer, you can continue to track player purchases and lifetime value (LTV) even when using Appcharge’s web-based checkout.

How it works:

A player completes a purchase via an Appcharge-hosted checkout page.
Appcharge confirms the successful transaction to your backend, and passes all the relevant parameters for your AppsFlyer SDK integration
Your game server then forwards the purchase event to the AppsFlyer SDK, just as it would for in-app purchases.
This ensures that player revenue and LTV tracking in AppsFlyer remains uninterrupted, even when the transaction happens outside the app.