Apple has released iOS 26.5 beta 1 for developers, and the update quietly points to a new subscription option that changes how users pay for in-app services, while still keeping the overall commitment structure similar to annual plans.
According to Apple’s official release notes, developers will soon be able to offer a “monthly with 12-month commitment” billing model, which lets users pay every month but stay locked in for a full year, and this setup blends the flexibility of monthly payments with the stability of long-term subscriptions.
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A new way to handle subscriptions
Right now, most apps offer either monthly plans or yearly subscriptions with upfront payment, but this new option sits in between and gives users a familiar monthly charge while still securing a 12-month agreement.
That also means developers can provide discounts tied to the commitment, and users avoid paying the full annual cost at once, which makes higher-tier plans feel more accessible.
Apple explains the feature clearly in its developer notes:
“You can read pricing information for subscriptions that have a monthly with 12-month commitment billing plan configuration [..]”
“You can specify the billing plan type to use for subscriptions that have a monthly with 12-month commitment billing plan configuration [..]”
“Read customer entitlement metadata for subscriptions purchased with a monthly billing plan type [..]”
The company also added new tools like PricingTerms, billingPlanType, and CommitmentInfo, which help developers manage pricing, billing behavior, and user entitlement data tied to these plans.
The update remains light overall, but it includes a few small additions like a Suggested Places feature in Apple Maps and the return of end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging, while also fixing issues with certain wallpapers failing to install or remove.
Apple has not confirmed whether this new billing model will replace existing annual plans or sit alongside them, but the change shows a clear push to give both developers and users more control over how subscriptions work.
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