Paid Apps Agreement: statuses, W-8BEN and first payment

The Paid Apps Agreement is Apple's contract for paid apps. The Account Holder signs it in App Store Connect, under Business. Until it's active, you can't sell a paid app, an in-app purchase or a subscription. It switches to Active once your tax forms, including a US form like the W-8BEN, and your bank account are complete. Apple then pays you within 45 days after the end of each fiscal month.

I sell subscriptions in my iOS apps, like Solys and TradaZen. Before every first submission with a subscription, I check that this agreement is active. Here are the agreement statuses, what unblocks each one, the W-8BEN for a developer based in France and how it ties into your first payment. Sources: App Store Connect Help and the IRS website, reviewed on October 15, 2026.

Paid Apps Agreement: what is it for?

When you join the Apple Developer Program, you can publish free apps. For everything else, App Store Connect Help is clear: to sell an app or offer in-app purchases, the Account Holder has to sign the Paid Apps Agreement. Nobody else can do it.

To sign it:

1. Open Business, at the top of App Store Connect.
2. In the Agreements tab, find the Paid Apps row.
3. Click View and Agree to Terms, then Agree. You may be asked for a two-factor authentication code.

Accepting can't be undone. And this isn't a sign-once-and-forget agreement:

• When Apple publishes a new version, you can't create apps or in-app purchases until you accept it.
• If your membership expires, you'll have to sign it again after renewing.
• It has to be active to submit or update a paid app and its in-app purchases.

You'll hit the block as soon as you start testing. Technical note TN3186 lists it among the causes of a product missing in the sandbox: you need an agreement in effect, then active banking and tax info. On the RevenueCat side, this shows up as an empty offering, covered in the Missing Metadata guide.

Agreement statuses and what unblocks each one

The status shows up in Business, Agreements tab. The Account Holder, an Admin or a Finance member can see it. Here's Apple's official list of statuses, with what unblocks each one.

Status	What it means	What unblocks it
New	Agreement not signed	Account Holder signature
Pending User Info	Signed, info missing	Tax, then banking
Processing	Apple is checking your info	Wait
Verifying	Apple is checking your entity	Wait
Active	Agreement in effect	Nothing to do
Active (Pending User)	In effect, info missing	Complete the info
New Agreement Available	New version to sign	Accept the version
Pending (New Legal Entity)	Entity changed	Sign a new agreement
Pending (Update Legal Entity)	Entity changed	Banking or tax
Expired	Agreement expired	Renew and sign
Disabled	Apps removed from the Store	Provide the info

New Agreement Available is added to Active or Pending, depending on the agreement's state.

The New status just means nobody has signed yet. The most common one after that is Pending User Info: the agreement is signed, but it doesn't take effect until your tax forms and bank account are complete.

Fixing Pending User Info, step by step

Order matters: according to the help page on banking information, Apple only processes your bank info once all required tax forms are submitted.

1. Sign the agreement. Tax forms and banking only open up after that.
2. Fill out the US tax form. In Business, Agreements tab, Tax Forms section, click Add Tax Info. According to the page on tax information, every developer has to fill out a US tax form. Outside the US, a series of questions points you to the W-8BEN, the W-8BEN-E or the W-8ECI.
3. Add your country's forms, if there are any. Depending on where your account is based, other forms may be required. On Apple's forums, a French micro-entrepreneur (sole trader) says the France tax form asked him for a VAT number. That's one person's experience, not an Apple rule.
4. Add your bank account. Bank Accounts section, Add Bank Account. Enter the account holder's name exactly as it appears on your account, or the payment can be rejected. In Europe, you'll be asked for your IBAN. Only one account receives payments.
5. Wait for Processing, then Active. If an Admin or a Finance member entered the bank info, the Account Holder has to approve it. The change is then processed within 24 hours, according to Apple.

Check that every section shows Active, not just the agreement row. TN3186 also looks at Bank Accounts and Tax Forms. Heads up: once submitted, the US tax form can't be corrected in App Store Connect. If you made a mistake, you have to contact Apple.

Also declare your status under the Digital Services Act, even if you don't distribute in the European Union. It's not part of the Paid Apps Agreement, but in my account it also shows up under Business.

The W-8BEN for a developer based in France

The W-8BEN is a form from the IRS, the US tax agency. According to its official page, a foreign individual gives it to the payer to certify they're not a US person. You provide it when asked, even if you're not claiming any reduced rate.

Which form to pick:

• Individual or micro-entrepreneur: normally the W-8BEN, since a French micro-entreprise isn't a separate company from you.
• Company, like a French SAS or SARL: the IRS says a foreign entity uses the W-8BEN-E, not the W-8BEN.
• In every case, let Apple's questionnaire decide: it's the one that shows you the right form.

For an individual account, it's the W-8BEN.

The tax treaty. France and the United States have a tax treaty, published on the IRS page about France. Part II of the W-8BEN is where you claim it: line 9 for your country of residence, line 10 for certain special conditions, according to the IRS instructions. I'm not giving you any rate. Apple's help doesn't publish one for App Store sales, and forum answers contradict each other. If you have the slightest doubt, get your situation confirmed by an accountant.

Also according to the IRS, the form stays valid until the last day of the third calendar year after it's signed. A change in circumstances, like moving abroad, has to be reported to the payer within 30 days, with a new form.

How it ties into your first payment

An active agreement isn't enough to get paid. According to the help page on payments, you need four conditions:

1. a Paid Apps Agreement in effect;
2. a bank account on file;
3. an amount above the minimum payment threshold, in each country where you sell;
4. your country's monthly invoicing requirements met, if there are any.

The threshold depends on your bank's country and its currency. Apple's table lists 0.02 USD for a euro account in France. Combinations not in the table have to exceed 40 USD.

The schedule. Apple pays within 45 days after the last day of the fiscal month in which the transaction happened. Apple's fiscal month doesn't match the calendar month: open the fiscal calendar from Payments and Financial Reports, under the month picker.

Example with a made-up sale: in my App Store Connect, the September 2026 fiscal month ran from August 30 to September 26. So a sale on September 10 should be paid no later than 45 days after September 26, which is November 10, 2026.

Three things to know while you wait:

• Financial reports for a month arrive by the first Friday of the next fiscal month at the latest. A month only shows up once it's closed.
• One single transfer per fiscal month, converted into your account's currency. Your bank may charge fees.
• Only transactions Apple has actually collected count. The revenue shown in RevenueCat is still an estimate.

The amount you receive also depends on the commission. It drops to 15% with the Small Business Program, and enrolling requires having accepted the latest Paid Apps Agreement. To turn that into a revenue estimate, read how much an app makes.

My checklist before a first submission with a subscription

I follow it for every new app:

1. Active membership, with the right status: see the Apple developer account guide.
2. Paid Apps Agreement signed by the Account Holder.
3. US tax form submitted, plus your country's forms.
4. Bank account added, under the Account Holder's exact name.
5. Agreement, Tax Forms and Bank Accounts showing Active.
6. Digital Services Act status declared, even outside the EU.
7. Small Business Program enrollment submitted.
8. Products created, then purchased in the sandbox all the way through. The setup is in RevenueCat and iOS in-app subscriptions.
9. Only then, submitting the version with its first subscription.

I don't submit any app with a subscription until the Paid Apps row shows Active.

Wire up your subscription without missing anything

The iOS & Android Kit starts from the starter code of my apps: onboarding, paywall and subscriptions are already coded, and its third step, "connect the money," walks through these settings in order. The whole chain is laid out on the iOS in-app subscription page.

Before your first launch, take your free diagnostic: it tells you what's actually blocking you and sends you my Apple anti-rejection checklist. If your agreement stays stuck, book an hour with me and we'll open your Business section together.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Paid Apps Agreement?

It's Apple's contract for paid apps, signed in App Store Connect by the Account Holder. It's required to sell an app, in-app purchases or subscriptions. Free apps fall under the Apple Developer Program License Agreement.

Why is my Paid Apps Agreement stuck in Pending User Info?

Because some information is missing, usually the US tax form or the bank account. Complete Tax Forms, then Bank Accounts, and check that each one switches to Active. If the status still doesn't move, contact Apple support.

What does the New status mean for the Paid Apps Agreement?

That the agreement hasn't been signed yet. Only the Account Holder can do it, in Business, Agreements tab, on the Paid Apps row.

Do I need to fill out the W-8BEN as a developer in France?

Apple asks every developer for a US tax form: normally the W-8BEN for an individual or a micro-entrepreneur, the W-8BEN-E for a company. The App Store Connect questionnaire points you to the right one. For the tax treaty, read the IRS instructions or ask an accountant.

How long does it take for the agreement to become Active?

Apple doesn't publish a timeframe for reviewing the agreement. A bank account entered by an Admin is processed within 24 hours after the Account Holder approves it. Take care of these steps before you prepare your first submission.

When does Apple make the first payment?

Within 45 days after the end of the fiscal month of your first sales, as long as the agreement is active, your bank is on file and the threshold is met. In France, with a euro account, that threshold is 0.02 USD.