In this guide
"I paid and it's gone" is one of the most common support mails for apps with purchases. Restore is the feature that prevents it, and it is rarely tested beyond the happy path. This checklist covers the cases that cause the mail. It belongs to Testing monetization.
Apple's guidelines (§3.1.1) say: "you should make sure you have a restore mechanism for any restorable in-app purchases." How Google Play re-delivers purchases, and whether it requires a visible control, is not claimed here; check the current Google documentation.
Source: Apple, App Review Guidelines, retrieved 2026-10-22.
Setup
Use sandbox or license-tester accounts (Android steps). Keep a note of which test account bought what.
Cases
- Reinstall, same account. Buy, delete the app, install again, open. Expected: access returns automatically or after one clear action. Why: the most common case.
- New device, same account. Expected: same as above. Why: upgrades to a new phone happen to every user.
- A restore control exists and is findable. Where: paywall and settings. How to check: ask a tester to find it in under 30 seconds.
- Restore with nothing to restore. Tap restore on an account that never bought. Expected: a plain message ("No purchases found"), not an error or a silent nothing.
- Restore while offline. Expected: a clear message, no spinner forever.
- Different account than the one that bought. The user is signed in to another store account. Expected: no access, and a hint that purchases belong to the store account used at purchase.
- Expired subscription. Restore should not unlock content; the message should say the subscription ended. See billing retry and grace period.
- Non-consumable and subscription together. Restore returns both, once.
- Plan changed before reinstall. Restore reflects the current plan. See upgrade and downgrade.
- Restore twice in a row. No duplicates, no duplicated credits or consumables.
- Your own account system. If you have logins, check that the purchase is tied to the right user after restore and after switching users.
- After restore, the UI updates without a restart. Locked badges disappear.
Reading the result
Write down what the user saw, not just whether the entitlement flipped. A correct unlock behind a confusing message still produces support mail.
Ask a tester to reinstall and "get back what they paid for", without hints. Start free for private, structured feedback.