Offer codes, promo codes and what changed in 2026
Offer codes started with auto-renewable subscriptions. Since March 26, 2026 they also cover every other kind of in-app purchase — consumables, non-consumables and non-renewing subscriptions — and new promo codes for in-app purchases can no longer be created (Apple Developer News).
Promo codes for paid apps remain: they give a paid download for free.
A free year for a subscription
- In App Store Connect, open your app and the yearly subscription you want to give away.
- In its Offer Codes section, create a new offer and give it a reference name only you will see, such as “AppHunt — 1 year free”.
- Choose who can redeem it. New subscribers is the usual choice; you can also include current or former subscribers.
- Set the offer to Free for 1 year.
- Select all 175 countries and regions, so nobody who finds the code is told it is not available where they live.
- Add codes: a custom code such as YOURAPPYEAR with a redemption limit, or a batch of one-time codes.
A free unlock for a one-time purchase
If your app sells a lifetime unlock or another non-consumable, create the offer code on that in-app purchase and give it a free price. Once redeemed, the purchase stays unlocked for good — on AppHunt that counts the same as a free year.
The limits worth knowing
Per Apple’s documentation (App Store Connect Help): codes can cover up to 1,000,000 redemptions per app per quarter; a subscription can have up to 10 active offers; one-time codes come in batches of 500 to 25,000 and expire within six months; custom codes can be up to 64 characters of letters and numbers; and every customer can redeem one code per offer.
How people redeem a code
Three ways, all handled by Apple: a redemption link of the form https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=APP_ID&code=CODE, the Redeem Code screen in the App Store, or a redemption sheet inside your app if you add it with StoreKit. AppHunt uses the link, so people land on Apple’s screen with the code already filled in.
List the codes on AppHunt
- Paste your App Store link — the name, icon and screenshots are filled in for you — and describe the app in your own words; AppHunt never publishes store text.
- Add the custom code with its limit, or paste the one-time codes. AppHunt hands one-time codes out one per person.
- Keep all regions selected, set the end date of your codes, and publish. The offer page goes live at once, and the dashboard shows how many codes people have claimed.
List your app on AppHunt — free
Give our users a year of your premium version with a promo code. No fees and no paid placements: your offer page goes live the moment you publish.
List your app →Questions and answers
Custom code or one-time codes?
A custom code is one memorable word that many people can redeem up to the limit you set — the simplest to share. One-time codes are unique: each works once, and AppHunt gives every user their own. Both work on AppHunt.
Can people who already subscribe use the code?
Only if you include current or former subscribers when you create the offer. With “new subscribers” only, Apple refuses the code for anyone who has subscribed before.
What happens after the free year?
The subscription renews at your regular price unless the user cancels before the free year ends; Apple shows the renewal terms before they redeem. A one-time purchase simply stays unlocked.