Imagine a crossword app offering hints while players solve clues. Each hint is spent; a permanent unlock misrepresents that choice.
How: work toward a solution
A fictional crossword app starts with zero hints. Buy three, then use hints repeatedly: the balance falls to zero and further use is blocked. Buying another pack adds three again. This is a local simulation; no purchase is processed. Prices, taxes, fees and refunds are omitted. Reset or reload clears the example.
Purchased units decrease when used.
Crossword app · illustrative example
Consumable purchase
Crossword app · No purchased items initially
123456780
Hints
Purchases: 0
Uses completed: 0
Each hint use deducts one. At zero, use is blocked; another purchase adds three.
No real purchase. Prices, taxes, fees and refunds omitted.
A player buys a pack of three hints and spends one per use. At zero, use is blocked; another purchase adds three. Pack price and storefront seller terms are unspecified; all purchases here are local simulations.
A fictional demo within this article. Reset or reload restores its initial state.
What: the concept
A consumable purchase supplies units that are depleted through use and can be bought again. It differs from a non-consumable feature entitlement.
Combine with free access while making balance and spending clear.
A crossword fits consumables when each hint has a separate use. A non-consumable purchase unlocks a lasting feature, while a subscription grants time-based access. Consumable units can exist beside either without making permanent unlocks consumable.
02Applications
A player buys a pack of three hints and spends one per use. At zero, use is blocked; another purchase adds three. Pack price and storefront seller terms are unspecified; all purchases here are local simulations.
03Implementation & cautions
Validate receipts and grant each transaction once before allowing spend. Decide cross-device balance, refunds and offline behavior. Local duplicate-click protection is useful but does not replace a server ledger or platform transaction processing.
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