Menu PocketGamer.biz
Search
Home   >   Data

Less than 2% of mobile gamers make an in-app purchase

Unity report finds that most repeat purchases happen within 30 days of original spending
Less than 2% of mobile gamers make an in-app purchase
Date Type Companies Involved Key Datapoint
Sep 17, 2024 report Unity
  • Players are most likely to make a repeat purchase within 30 days
  • Players are more likely to spend to remove ads early, but buy currency later
Stay Informed
Get Industry News In Your Inbox…
Sign Up Today

Only 1.83% of mobile gamers spend money on in-app purchases, according to a new report from Unity.

The Mobile Growth and Monetisation Report 2024 claims that of those who spend for the first time, only 28.81% are likely to spend again.

Even after overcoming the challenge of a first-time spend, a player's chance of spending again dwindles dramatically over time.

Make haste, make money

Unity’s report has revealed that 26.47% of repeat spenders make their second purchase within 30 days of their initial purchase, accounting for almost 92% of all multi-time spenders.

Beyond those first 30 days, the percentage of people making repeat purchases falls off significantly - even lower than the rates of converting a player into a first-time spender.

Of those players who do make a second purchase, only 1.37% do so between days 31 and 60, and beyond that timeframe, a mere 0.46% spend again.

What players spend on also changes over time; a player is more likely to pay to remove ads early in their first week with a game (7%) but is much less likely to do so three weeks in (0.9%).

On the other hand, the purchasing of currency increases over time, from 19% in the first seven days to 24.3% after three weeks, demonstrating a shift in priorities as players progress.

"Creating IAPs for your mobile game can be labour intensive, but the payoffs can outweigh the work if done right," Unity said.

"Using data to identify the most effective IAP products and then understanding how to map them to the most impactful moment based on where a user is at in your game can help offset some of the overhead around implementing IAPs.

"Understanding how to map IAP products through your gamesʼ stages can help you effectively drive repeat purchases."

According to the report, hybrid campaigns, which combine in-app ads and in-app purchases, are also becoming increasingly popular. These campaigns aim to monetise a player base's free-to-play portion while continuing to earn from spenders.

Of course, there are a range of strategies in ad engagement too - such as optimising ad placement.