Pricing model for Microsoft Store App

Question

I submitted the app as free but got rejected for the incorrect pricing model reason.

The app is a framing nameplate designer app.

1. Its intended users are art framing stores
2. The store would download the app. For free. Get the free License Key from us.
3. The store would design a painting frame name plate in the software and send it to us.
4. We would make the nameplate, bill the store and send it to them.

I could I guess submit it as a “Freemium” app, but to answer the “Does it allow purchases of digital goods” as No – because the goods are not digital?

I guess I could also make it Paid and set the price as $0.01... But I would prefer to have it as "free" because it basically is.

What are my options here to make the app pass review?

Answer 1

For this scenario the correct approach is to keep the app itself free and treat the real-world nameplates as offline/physical services, not as Store-billed digital purchases.

Key points based on Store pricing models:

1. Use a Free or Freemium pricing model for the app
   • In Partner Center, on the Pricing and availability page, choose Free or Freemium as the pricing model for the MSI/EXE/MSIX app, depending on whether any in-app digital functionality is ever paid.
   • The app download from Microsoft Store remains free for framing stores.
2. Answer “Does it allow purchases of digital goods?” as No
   • The Store’s monetization and in-app purchase questions are about digital goods and services billed via Microsoft’s commerce system (for example, in-app purchases, subscriptions, or digital add-ons).
   • In this workflow, the only thing being sold is a physical nameplate and associated offline service, billed directly by the business to the store, outside Microsoft Store.
   • Therefore, the app does not sell digital goods and can be declared as not supporting digital purchases.
3. Avoid misusing Paid pricing for a “basically free” app
   • Setting the app as Paid with a token price (for example, $0.01) is not required and can be misleading, since the Store would then treat it as a paid digital product.
   • The documentation explicitly supports free apps and freemium models, including scenarios where revenue comes from outside the Store (for example, services or physical goods).
4. Ensure the submission description is clear
   • In the Store listing and any certification notes, clearly describe that:
     • The app is a free design tool for business customers (framing stores).
     • No digital content or features are sold through the app or through Microsoft Store.
     • Physical nameplates are ordered and billed directly by the company outside the app’s Store commerce system.
   • This helps reviewers see that the pricing model is correct and that there is no attempt to bypass Store billing for digital goods.
5. If using Freemium, keep all paid value outside the app’s digital features
   • Freemium is appropriate if the app might later add digital features unlocked via in-app purchase.
   • If all revenue will always be from physical products and offline services, a simple Free model is typically sufficient; the app can still be used as a front-end for offline orders.

If the app was rejected for “incorrect pricing model,” resubmit with:

• Pricing: Free (or Freemium, with no digital IAP configured).
• Digital goods question: No.
• Notes to certification: Explicit explanation that all charges relate to physical nameplates and are handled outside Microsoft Store.

---

References:

• Set app pricing and availability for MSI/EXE app
• Set app pricing for MSI/EXE app
• Set app pricing for MSIX app
• Set and schedule pricing
• Monetization, engagement, and Store services