Promo codes App Review checklist

Define the campaign purpose

Name whether codes support press review, influencer access, customer recovery, partner demos, launch testing, education outreach, or reviewer access. Each purpose needs different support and measurement.

Do not distribute codes before the app, IAP, or subscription entitlement states have been tested in the same build and storefronts.

Test redemption and access states

• Fresh account, existing account, family device, region mismatch, expired code, already redeemed code, and wrong product.
• Unlocked content, subscription access, restore behavior, server entitlement sync, and logout.
• Support path for users who redeem but cannot access value.
• Campaign landing page and App Store listing consistency.
• Analytics that separates promo access from paid conversion without storing sensitive account notes.

Use codes carefully for review or press

If a promo code is needed for a reviewer, provide exact redemption steps and a fallback account route. Review should not depend on a code that expires or has already been used.

AppReviewReady interpretation: promo codes are operational tools. They should not hide broken purchase flows or unclear entitlement design.

Run campaign operations

1. Assign a code owner and distribution list.
2. Track which campaign receives which codes without exposing personal data unnecessarily.
3. Prepare support macros for redemption problems.
4. Stop distributing codes after campaign end or product changes.
5. Compare promo users with paid conversion and retention quality.

Promo code ledger

The ledger protects support and growth from treating codes as disposable coupons with no product state.

After launch, study whether promo users become qualified leads, reviewers, or support burden. That evidence should inform future discount and outreach strategy.

For press or partner campaigns, include a short explanation of what the code unlocks and what happens after the promotional period. Confusion after redemption can turn into poor reviews from exactly the audience the campaign was meant to impress.

If promo codes unlock paid functionality, test the same onboarding and support route as a paid user. Promotional access should not bypass required privacy, safety, or account setup steps.

When codes are used for customer recovery, record the incident reason separately from the code itself. That keeps retention analysis useful without embedding sensitive support history in campaign data.

For limited inventory campaigns, define who can approve extra codes. Scarcity creates support pressure when partners or reviewers receive expired instructions.

If a code campaign targets reviewers or creators, include a plain-language setup note. People should know what to test before the code clock or campaign context expires.

Promo code ledger:
Campaign: [name]
Product unlocked: [app/IAP/subscription]
Storefronts: [list]
Redemption states tested: [list]
Support owner: [team]
Expiration/campaign end: [date]
Measurement: [metric]