Win-Back Offers: How you can win back canceled subscribers on the App Store

Every app business has a "leaky bucket".

It's frustrating: You invest in acquisition to fill the bucket with new water (users), only to watch some of it drip back out through the leak (churn).

But what if you knew that a large portion of these "lost" customers are willing to come back? According to the "State of Subscription Apps" report by RevenueCat, up to 20% of monthly churned users resubscribe within 12 months.

The problem? Most apps lack an active strategy to target these users. They simply leave this money on the table. For our customers at Ahoi Kapptn!, this is often one of the first "quick wins" we identify. There is a built-in stopper for your bucket that Apple offers natively: Apple Win-Back Offers.

What exactly are Apple Win-Back Offers?

Think of win-backs as an exclusive discount for "ex-friends" you want to win back.

They are specific discount offers (e.g., "50% off for 3 months" or "1 month free") that you can exclusively show to users whose subscription has already expired.

Do not confuse them with:

• Introductory Offers: Only for brand new customers.

• Promotional Offers: For existing/former customers, but technically much more complex to set up.

Win-backs are Apple’s simplest way to specifically target churn cohorts without suddenly offering discounts to your loyal full-paying customers.

Why this is (almost always) a good idea

When we dive deep into a complex concept for the entire user journey with our clients, we always check the "low-hanging fruits." Win-backs are exactly that.

They are a strategic lever, especially when:

• Your app is seasonal: (e.g., fitness apps, where many cancel after New Year).

• Price was a reason: A user wanted to cancel because it was too expensive. A discount might bring them back for another round.

• You have new features: The user canceled because they felt something was "missing." Now is the perfect time to bring them back with a discount so they can see what's new.

The biggest advantage: It's simple and quick to set up.

It’s that easy: Set up win-backs in 15 minutes

This is the technical part. The best part: It's not a huge project that blocks your mobile development for weeks. You (or we) can complete this in a few steps in App Store Connect.

Here are the steps:

1. In App Store Connect, go to "My Apps" -> [Your App] -> "Subscriptions".

2. Select the subscription group for which the offer should apply.

3. Click the plus symbol (+) under "Subscription Prices" and select "Create Offers".

4. Select "Win-Back" as the offer type.

5. Define the eligibility: This is important. We usually recommend enabling users only after a certain period (e.g., 3 months after subscription expiration). This prevents "offer-hopping" (people who cancel just to get the discount).

6. Define the offer: Choose the type (free, upfront discount, per-period discount) and the duration.

Done. Really. As soon as an eligible user opens the App Store, this offer is automatically presented to them by Apple.

The Pro League: Why we rely on RevenueCat

The setup in App Store Connect is easy. But the tracking, testing, and optimizing? That's where most fail.

• Which offer works better: 50% off or 1 month free?

• How many users have even seen the offer?

• What is the conversion rate on the offer sheet?

This is where it becomes tedious if you rely solely on Apple's standard analytics. We are proudRevenueCat Partner.

RevenueCat is a platform that manages your entire subscription infrastructure. It is the "Single Source of Truth" between your app, Apple, other platforms, and your backend.

With RevenueCat, we can not only manage win-backs for our clients but also see their success at a glance. We can set up A/B tests (e.g., 50% see offer A, 50% see offer B) and precisely measure which strategy brings back the highest Lifetime Value (LTV).

If you take subscriptions seriously, this is the "Easy Button."

Tired of bucket filling?

Win-backs are a start. But a truly tight app needs a comprehensive strategy—from the concept to technical implementation.

Let’s talk. We analyze where your bucket has the biggest leaks and how we can plug them together.