I wonder if external-only payment as part of a "confirm your account" step would be permitted with this change? i.e.
- user downloads Netflix wanting to sign up
- user enters their email address, ticking a box to confirm they consent to being contacted in order to complete their account setup
- the email contains a link to the sign-up form on netflix.com, including the payment form
While it's absolutely absurd to still have to jump through so many hoops, this would be a significant improvement over the current situation which has a "Sign In" button and nothing else.
No, AFAICT that flow wouldn’t be permitted. Only bulk emails to customers that have signed up, making the change pretty useless and the previous rule seem absurd.
I believe both of those comments are referencing the latest App Store guidelines which have not yet been updated with the proposed changes. According to the court filing it seems possible that you would be able to contact users with information used during the signup flow, and doesn't seem to indicate a restriction of targeting individual users:
"Apple has agreed to revise its App Store Guidelines to permit developers of all app categories to communicate with consenting customers outside their app, including via email and other communication services, about purchasing methods other than in-app purchase. See Berman Decl., Ex. A at § 5.1.3. Under the App’s Store existing Guidelines, developers may not use contact information (emails, phone numbers, etc.) obtained within an app to contact their user base outside the app. As a practical matter, this prevents developers from alerting their customers to alternative payment options. The proposed Settlement lifts this restriction, and it does so for all app categories."
- user downloads Netflix wanting to sign up
- user enters their email address, ticking a box to confirm they consent to being contacted in order to complete their account setup
- the email contains a link to the sign-up form on netflix.com, including the payment form
While it's absolutely absurd to still have to jump through so many hoops, this would be a significant improvement over the current situation which has a "Sign In" button and nothing else.