Quick definitions of the terms you'll encounter when building in-app purchases and subscription logic — from A to Z.
A server-side record of whether a user should have access to a feature because of a verified purchase.
A unique opaque string issued by Google Play (or transaction ID by Apple) that identifies a single in-app purchase.
Real-Time Developer Notifications — Google Cloud Pub/Sub push messages that tell your backend about subscription lifecycle events.
Verifying purchase data by calling the store's API from your backend — not from the client device.
Apple's modern in-app purchase framework with Swift-native APIs and JWS-signed transaction verification.
Google's billing library for selling digital products, subscriptions, and in-app items in Android apps.
Monthly Recurring Revenue — the predictable subscription income you can count on every month.
The rate at which subscribers cancel — usually measured monthly as a percentage of your active base.
Average Revenue Per User — total revenue divided by the number of users over a given period.
Lifetime Value — the total revenue you can expect from a subscriber over their entire relationship with your app.
A screen shown to users to convert them to a paid subscription — typically showing plan options with pricing.
A discounted offer targeted at lapsed subscribers to bring them back to your paid plan.
Model Context Protocol — an open standard that lets AI agents interact with external tools, including subscription management.
Monthly Transaction Revenue — the gross in-app purchase revenue processed through a store before any deductions.
The entitled recovery window after a renewal payment fails.
Google Play’s suspended payment-recovery state after grace ends.
Average Revenue Per Paying User — revenue divided only by users who paid.
Store-managed subscription access before the first paid charge.
A free or discounted opening subscription phase for eligible customers.
The share of trial starts that become successfully paid subscriptions.
Testing store purchases and lifecycle events without real charges.
A Google Cloud workload identity used by a backend to call Play APIs.
The required Play confirmation that a completed purchase was processed.
Automatic store attempts to recover a failed subscription renewal.
How unused subscription value is applied during a plan replacement.
The Play field connecting a replacement token to its predecessor.
Apple-signed webhooks for purchase and subscription lifecycle events.
The recurring store charge that extends a subscription period.
A store-issued payment reversal that can change entitlement access.
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