Some developers use special tools and resources to construct in-app purchasing functionality. Some resources are specific to a brand/model of smartphone, where third-party services facilitate in-app purchasing for app developers.

Other types of in-app purchasing accommodations involve specialized currencies. Some of these virtual currencies may be much easier to code than actual cash transactions, which may require that merchant credit card processing arrangements be built into the app itself. Alternative virtual currencies can also help create easier purchasing setups for end users. However, any of these in-app purchasing systems will require an eventual transfer of funds, and security for both the actual transactions and the in-app fiat transactions.