How it works: Pay by bank for iOS in-app purchases

Apple now allows iOS apps in the United States to link out to external payment options. A recent blog post from Apple states: 

“The App Review Guidelines have been updated for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps.” 

This is a major win for app owners and developers, who can now:

• Drive users to cost-efficient, custom checkout flows
• Own the full payment experience
• Avoid Apple’s 30% commission

The question is, what payment solutions work best for in-app purchases?

Pay by bank is the most affordable way to accept online payments in the United States. It’s also widely used in online gaming and highly effective for in-app use cases like one-click purchases and subscriptions. 

In this article, we explain pay by bank for iOS apps, including:

• How pay by bank works
• How developers can integrate pay by bank
• And what to consider when adding an external checkout flow

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What is pay by bank?

Pay by bank lets customers connect their bank account to make payments online. It’s widely used across industries like iGaming, e-commerce, and subscriptions to reduce transaction costs and scale efficient payments.

Because pay by bank involves open, real-time connections to consumer banks, the payment method delivers powerful advantages:

• 3x greater efficiency compared to e-checks
• Accurate risk prediction and management
• Return protection
• User recognition across merchants*

*This functionality is unique to Aeropay.

Learn more about pay by bank 

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Pay by bank for in-app purchases

Mobile games, subscription services, creator platforms, and reader apps can take advantage of the flexibility and efficiency of pay by bank. It’s a familiar, seamless fit for most applications. 

How it works

The integration process for pay by bank is very straightforward. Once complete, app owners will have an embedded payment option that takes a few seconds for future purchases.

The checkout process looks like this: 

1. Users select ‘Pay by bank’ when directed to the checkout page
2. Users connect their preferred checking account with a direct login to online banking
3. Purchase is completed
4. User is redirected back to the app 
5. Purchase is confirmed

Future purchases do not require a bank connection, meaning the checkout process is completed in ~ 5 seconds. The same is true for millions of existing Aeropay users. 

Benefits of pay by bank

With an advanced pay by bank solution, app owners benefit from: 

• Cost-effective processing. Pay by bank uses the ACH network instead of card networks. This means transaction fees are ~ 50% lower than cards.
• Guaranteed payment settlement. Get comprehensive protection from returned payments caused by insufficient funds, buyers’ remorse, bad account info and more. 
• One-click payments. Users only link their  bank once, with biometric authentication to verify future transactions up to 93% faster. 
• High acceptance rates. Advanced risk management and network-level verification methods help to allow more good transactions. 
• Churn prevention. Bank details stay valid 14+ years longer than card numbers. 

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How to add pay by bank to your iOS app

Here's a simple overview of the process for adding pay by bank to your mobile app:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

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Considerations before adding pay by bank

Apple’s new rules only apply to apps on the U.S. App Store. If your app is available internationally, you’ll still need to comply with regional restrictions or apply for entitlements in other storefronts.

While Apple has officially updated its App Review Guidelines to comply with the recent U.S. court decision, most apps are still required to also offer In-App Purchases (IAP). 

Moving away from Apple’s in-app purchase system also means you’re now responsible for the full payment stack. That includes:

• Tax compliance across states or countries
• Chargeback and return management
• Refunds and buyer support
• Currency conversion and global pricing
• Fraud prevention and risk monitoring

These are all areas Apple used to handle for you. Now you’ll need to solve for them directly—or choose a partner who can.

You’ll also need to build a mobile-optimized checkout flow that keeps users engaged and confident. The last thing you want is a payment experience that creates friction or causes drop-off at the point of conversion.

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Best practices for implementing external checkout

The more seamless your transition from app to checkout, the better your results. Here are a few key practices we recommend:

• Make the handoff feel intentional. Use clear messaging and branded visuals so users understand where they’re going and why.
• Feature pay by bank prominently. Position it as the preferred option to guide behavior and reduce costs.
• Offer smart incentives. Consider passing savings back to the user through rewards, discounts, or faster fulfillment.
• Monitor performance closely. Track fraud attempts, payment failures, and UX friction points to optimize your flow over time.
• Build trust early. Use strong language, clean visuals, and transparent information to keep users engaged from link click to purchase complete.

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Getting started 

Adding pay by bank to your iOS app gives you full control over your payments and a clear path to improved margins.

Choosing the right partner is just as important.

Aeropay’s pay by bank platform is designed for U.S. operators, and gives you:

• 90%+ approval rates 
• 50% lower transaction costs
• Real-time fraud detection to block bad actors before they transact
• Seamless user experience with one-click re-authentication
• Built-in compliance to reduce operational risk
• End-to-end buyer support to protect your brand

Ready to launch a better in-app payment experience? Get started.