iOS App Receipt Validation - Receipt is missing in simulator and on device while debugging

Question

Why would my app lack an Receipt while in development?

I am running my iOS (7, 8, 9) app from Xcode 7.3.1. The app’s Receipt seems to be missing. This app is currently shipping in the App Store, so I have my developer credentials, and a “sandbox” user login.

Simulator

When running the following code:

NSURL* url = [[NSBundle mainBundle] appStoreReceiptURL];
NSLog(@"url: %@", url);

The result in the Simulator 9.3 for iPhone 6s Plus:

file:///Users/Bourque/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/7F32850A-CC1A-45A3-8ED6-95C75CD9DD44/data/Containers/Data/Application/46BDF021-D2A3-418E-91E1-61A15215942B/StoreKit/receipt

Yet when I navigate to the folder named with the 2nd UUID, I find no StoreKit folder.

Real device

To test on a real iOS iPod touch, I expand that code to…

…See where the Receipt should be found.

NSURL* url = [[NSBundle mainBundle] appStoreReceiptURL];
NSLog(@"url: %@", url);

…Try to load such a file.

NSString* urlContents = [NSString stringWithContentsOfURL:url encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:nil];
NSLog(@"urlContents: %@", urlContents);

…Verify if the file exists.

NSError *err;
if ( [url checkResourceIsReachableAndReturnError:&err] == NO ) {
    NSLog(@"BAD No receipt found for url: %@" , url );
} else {
    NSLog(@"GOOD Receipt found for url: %@" , url );
}

Results when run.

url: file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/21430192-6E3A-4929-B847-23FD525D804E/StoreKit/sandboxReceipt

urlContents: (null)

BAD No receipt found for url: file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/21430192-6E3A-4929-B847-23FD525D804E/StoreKit/sandboxReceipt

file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/B1497F0D-95A7-4AD8-A9D5-7AF95663A04F/StoreKit/sandboxReceipt

Answer 1

Since you installed the app via Xcode and not from the Store it contains no receipt. However, you can start a SKReceiptRefreshRequest in order to get a sandbox receipt you can use for testing.

Also be aware that you need to log out of the App Store and use a test user account (created in iTunes Connect) when prompted to log in after you started the request to make it work.