Resolving 'You do not have required contracts' iOS App Store Connect Error

Problem Statement

When uploading an iOS app to App Store Connect using Transporter, you may encounter the error:

"You do not have required contracts to perform an operation"

This manifests as a 403 Forbidden error with status code FORBIDDEN_ERROR.CONTRACT_NOT_VALID:

{
    "id": "*****************************",
    "status": "403",
    "code": "FORBIDDEN_ERROR.CONTRACT_NOT_VALID",
    "title": "You do not have required contracts to perform an operation",
    "detail": "You do not have required contracts to perform an operation."
}

This error typically occurs when:

• Apple has updated their license agreements
• You're missing updated legal documentation
• Your distribution certificate is valid but legal contracts are pending
• No issues are present during IPA archiving

Solution

Accept updated Agreements in your Apple Developer account:

1. Access Apple Developer Portal
2. Log in as the Account Holder or user with Legal permissions
3. Look for red indicators or alerts about pending contracts
4. Navigate to Agreements, Tax, and Banking
5. Review and accept all updated agreements

Permissions Required

• Must be Account Holder or Admin/Legal role
• Team members without permissions must contact account administrator

Key Steps in Apple Developer Portal

1. 
   (Agreement notification example)
2. Accept all outstanding contracts
3. Verify status shows "Completed"

Post-Acceptance Steps

• Wait 5-15 minutes for Apple systems to update
• Retry app upload in Transporter
• Confirm successful upload

Common Challenges

1. "I don't see pending agreements"
   → Ask account administrator to check Contracts section
   → Apple delays may require contacting Developer Support
   → Verify user role has Legal permissions if you're not Account Holder

2. Error persists after acceptance
   → Delete Transporter cache: ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.amp.itmstransporter
   → Restart Transporter and wait 5 minutes before retry
   → Ensure Apple's system outage isn't affecting services

Prevention

• Enable email notifications for developer agreements
• Periodically check agreements status quarterly
• Maintain multiple admin users for critical accounts