A weekly revenue review takes about fifteen minutes. Compare this week with last week and the four-week average for six numbers: total revenue, new customers or sales, MRR, refunds, revenue by product and revenue by source. Note one thing that changed and why, and choose one action for the coming week. Write it down so next week you can check whether it worked.
The six numbers
| Number | Compare with | What a change means |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | Last week, four-week average | The headline. Do not react to one week alone |
| New sales or customers | Last week | Whether acquisition is working |
| MRR | Start of month | Whether subscriptions are growing net of cancellations |
| Refunds | As a share of sales | Expectation gap, bugs, or an unclear paywall |
| Revenue by product | Last month's mix | What to invest in and what to retire |
| Revenue by source | Last month's mix | Which platform or channel is carrying you |
A fifteen-minute agenda
- Two minutes: write down the six numbers.
- Five minutes: find the biggest change and trace it. A release, a price change, a mention somewhere, a seasonal dip?
- Three minutes: read this week's refunds and any reasons given.
- Three minutes: check last week's action. Did it move anything?
- Two minutes: choose one action for next week.
The free weekly revenue review builder turns this into a filled-in page you can keep.
Reading refunds
A refund is a customer telling you something for free. A few each month is normal. A cluster after a release usually means a bug. A steady rate on one product usually means the listing promises something the product does not deliver, or the purchase was not understood. Track the rate, not just the count, and note which product each came from.
Product and platform mix
With several apps or products, one usually earns most of the money, and it is often not the one getting most of your time. Looking at revenue by product each week makes that visible. The same goes for platforms: if direct sales through Polar or Paddle outgrow the App Store, or the reverse, that should shape where the next month of effort goes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Reacting to a single day.
- Comparing gross on one platform with net on another. Decide which you track and stick to it.
- Ignoring currency. Sales abroad move with exchange rates.
- Counting annual subscriptions as monthly income. MRR spreads them; cash does not.
- Forgetting reporting delays. App Store figures lag by a day or more.
- Reviewing without deciding. If nothing changes as a result, it was not a review.
Doing it with Revenue Bear
Revenue Bear puts the inputs on one iPhone screen: totals for week and month, combined MRR, refunds in the feed, and breakdowns by source and by product across Stripe, Paddle, App Store Connect, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Polar. It does not write the review for you. You still need the fifteen minutes and the note.
More on the app: the revenue dashboard guide.
What it does not do
- Not accounting software. It shows sales and subscriptions as the platforms report them. It does not handle tax, fees reconciliation or bookkeeping.
- Read-only. It cannot issue refunds or change anything on your platforms.
- iPhone only.
- Six sources: Stripe, Paddle, App Store Connect, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Polar. Other platforms are not supported.
- Figures depend on each platform's API. App Store Connect sales data in particular arrives with a delay.
Price
Revenue Bear is an iPhone app for iOS 17 and later. The App Store shows the current price. A demo mode lets you look around without connecting any account.
Common questions
How often should I review revenue?
Weekly for decisions, monthly for a longer view. Daily checking is fine but should not drive changes.
What refund rate is normal?
It varies by product and price. Watch your own trend, and investigate sudden rises.
Should I track gross or net?
Either, consistently. Net of platform fees is closer to what reaches you.
Do I need a tool for this?
No. The template works with numbers copied from each dashboard. A combined view saves the copying.
Does Revenue Bear show refunds?
Yes. Refunds appear in the feed with their source.
Have the numbers ready for your next review: Get Revenue Bear.