# US 2014/0207623 A1 · Price differentiation by market for in-app software purchases > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0207623 A1 - Document ID: US20140207623A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/749,474 - Filed: 2013-01-24 - Published: 2014-07-24 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-24 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Applicants: Microsoft Corporation - Inventors: Steven Novick; Daniel Lau; Avijit Sinha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207623A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0283: Price estimation or determination - G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders} - H04M 15/43: {Billing software details} - H04M 15/80: {Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects} - H04M 15/8033: {location-dependent, e.g. business or home} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04W 4/60: Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Different prices may be charged for an In-App Purchase (IAP) for a same item based on a market associated with the user. For example, a user in one market may be charged a different price for an item than what is charged for the item to a user in a different market. A different product identifier is associated with the item for each of the different markets for the item. The item is submitted to the application store as different items that have the different product identifiers for each of the different markets. When an IAP request for an item is received from a user, a market that is associated with the user is determined based on a location associated with the user. After determining the market for the user, the product identifier that identifies the product is used to obtain the item from the application store. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for price differentiation by market for In-App Purchases, comprising: receiving an In-App Purchase (IAP) request from an application to purchase an item from an application store that restricts a developer from changing a price for the item based on a market associated with a user; determining a market associated with the user; determining a product identifier for the item within the application store that identifies the item for the determined market associated with the user; and obtaining the item from the application store that corresponds to the determined market of the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises determining a country that is associated with an account of the user in the application store. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the product identifier for the item comprises, the application determining the product identifier from a mapping that includes product identifiers and corresponding markets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the application store comprises items used by iOS applications. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item is at least one of: a subscription, a consumable purchase and a nonconsumable purchase. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a same product that has different product IDs for each of the markets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a different price with each of the different markets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises receiving a location property from the application store in response to the IAP request that identifies a location of an account for the user for the application store. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises receiving a location property from the application store that identifies a country for the user. ### Claim 10 A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for price differentiation by market for In-App Purchases, comprising: receiving an In-App Purchase (IAP) request from an application on an iOS device to purchase an item from an application store that restricts a developer from changing a price for the item based on a market associated with a user; determining a market associated with the user; determining a product identifier for the item within the application store that identifies the item for the determined market associated with the user; and obtaining the item using the determined product identifier from the application store that corresponds to the determined market of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises determining a country that is associated with an account of the user in the application store. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the product identifier for the item comprises, the application determining the product identifier from using stored product identifiers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the item is at least one of: a subscription, a consumable purchase and a nonconsumable purchase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the item is a same product that has different product IDs for each of the markets. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises receiving a location property from the application store in response to the IAP request that identifies a location of an account for the user for the application store. ### Claim 16 A system for price differentiation by market for In-App Purchases, comprising: a processor and memory; an operating environment executing using the processor; a display; and a market manager that is configured to perform actions comprising: receiving an In-App Purchase (IAP) request from an application on an iOS device to purchase an item from an application store that restricts a developer from changing a price for the item based on a market associated with a user; determining a market associated with the user; determining a product identifier for the item within the application store that identifies the item for the determined market associated with the user; and obtaining the item using the determined product identifier from the application store that corresponds to the determined market of the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises determining a country that is associated with an account of the user in the application store. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein determining the product identifier for the item comprises, the application determining the product identifier from using stored product identifiers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the item is one of: a subscription, a consumable purchase and a nonconsumable purchase. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein determining the market associated with the user comprises receiving a location property from the application store in response to the TAP request that identifies a location of an account for the user for the application store.