Apple App Store server notification types update with cloud and code icons

App Store Server Notifications (2025): A Deep Dive into New NotificationTypes

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Updated: May 2025

Apple recently expanded its App Store Server Notifications with powerful new NotificationType events. These updates are critical for developers managing subscriptions, in-app purchases, refunds, and account state changes. This deep-dive covers the latest NotificationTypes introduced in 2025, their use cases, and how to handle them using Swift and server-side logic effectively.

🔔 What Are NotificationTypes?

NotificationTypes are event triggers Apple sends to your server via HTTPS when something changes in a user’s app store relationship, including:

  • New purchases
  • Renewals
  • Refunds
  • Grace periods
  • Billing issues
  • Revocations

🆕 New NotificationTypes in 2025 (iOS 17.5+):

NotificationTypePurpose
REFUND_DECLINEDCustomer-initiated refund was denied
GRACE_PERIOD_EXPIREDGrace period ended, subscription not renewed
OFFER_REDEEMEDUser successfully redeemed a promotional offer
PRE_ORDER_PURCHASEDA pre-ordered item was charged and made available
AUTO_RENEW_DISABLEDAuto-renew toggle was turned off manually
APP_TRANSACTION_REVOKEDApp-level transaction was revoked due to violations or fraud

🛡️ Why it matters: These help prevent fraud, enable smoother user communication, and allow tighter control of subscription logic.

⚙️ Sample Server Logic in Node.js


// Example: Express.js listener for Apple server notifications

app.post("/apple/notifications", (req, res) => {
  const notification = req.body;
  const type = notification.notificationType;

  switch(type) {
    case "OFFER_REDEEMED":
      handleOfferRedemption(notification);
      break;
    case "GRACE_PERIOD_EXPIRED":
      notifyUserToRenew(notification);
      break;
    case "APP_TRANSACTION_REVOKED":
      revokeUserAccess(notification);
      break;
    default:
      console.log("Unhandled notification type:", type);
  }

  res.status(200).send("OK");
});

📲 Swift Example – Handle Subscription Cancellation Locally


func handleNotification(_ payload: [String: Any]) {
    guard let type = payload["notificationType"] as? String else { return }

    switch type {
    case "AUTO_RENEW_DISABLED":
        disableAutoRenewUI()
    case "REFUND_DECLINED":
        logRefundIssue()
    default:
        break
    }
}

📈 Best Practices

  • Always verify signed payloads from Apple using public keys
  • Maintain a notification history for each user for audit/debug
  • Use notifications to trigger user comms (email, in-app messages)
  • Gracefully handle unexpected/unknown types

🔗 Further Reading:

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