Is this possible. We are looking at an app whereby the user customizes the product and purchases the finished product.

Does this fall into the 30% for apple
Is this allowed?

Cheers

SteveW

It is not allowed.
Source

Is there a solution. I need to be able to do the following:
Allow the user to create a design on the device for a birthday card.
Once completed take a payment then produce and ship out the product.

Would I have to take the user from the design app to a web page to take payment etc. (Is this allowed).

Any help appreciated.

SteveW

I think Apple won't allow what you want to achieve. I would send email to AppStore support and ask.

I'm not exactly sure, but few weeks ago I read something on this topic.

Basically it was something like, if you're selling a product that the user is going to use "outside" iOS (say a physical product) with your own payment system then it's ok.
The PDF Piotr Blerdo.com linked talk about the Apple in-app purchasing system. And it specifically says you cannot sell a physical product using the in-app purchase system.
So you have to use/code your own payment system.
The app should be pretty similar to Amazon Mobile (that is not against appstore rules.. since it's selling physical product using its own payment system.... just to be clear I'm talking about Amazon Mobile, not Kindle store).

The thing is different if you're selling a product that the user should use within iOS (say for example Kindle store, where you can read the book from your iPhone). In that case you have to use the in-app purchasing system (and give 30% to apple), otherwise you enter the gray area of Kindle-like apps, that use mobile safari to sell digital products (and that should be against Appstore rules)

As I said, I'm not exactly sure but I'm pretty positive it's like that. There are plenty of apps selling physical products on the Appstore (amazon, blue nile, ebay, new egg), with their own payment system.