Why Is Apple Taking Money From My Account?

Modern smartphones have the ability to take your personal ID and get your financial details to facilitate app store purchases. Sometimes though, you may see unidentified charges .

Apple may be taking money from your account because you have previously purchased something and forgot about it. Another possible reason is if you have shared your personal account details with someone who has used it for making purchases.

• Why do I have so many Apple charges?
• What is the $9.99 charge from Apple?
• Why does iTunes keep charging my card?
• How do I stop Apple taking money from my account?
• How long does it take for Apple to bill me for iTunes purchases?
• Does Apple refund unauthorized purchases?
• How do I get a refund from Apple Pay?
• Is it safe to link a bank account to Apple Pay?

See also: Why Can’t I Use My Apple Account Balance?

Why do I have so many Apple charges?

Apple will not charge you without proper authorization. So if you are getting charged and you don’t know why you have so many Apple charges, here are some possible reasons:

1. Forgotten past purchases

You may have purchased an app, music, game, or services from the app store a while ago and forgot about it. Or, you may have purchased something in the app store without noticing it was a paid app or service.

See also: How To Delete Purchase History On App Store?

2. Shared Apple ID

If you have shared your Apple ID with someone, that might have purchased something from the app store using your ID and you are getting charged for it.

See also: How Many Apple IDs Can I Have?

3. Shared Apple device

If you’re in the habit of sharing your phone with someone (partner, kids, friends, family, etc.), it is possible that someone purchased something from the app store and you are getting charged for it.

Note that simply sharing your phone is not enough for someone to make a purchase, the person also needs to have your authorization details.

4. Family sharing plan

If you have a shared plan with your family then someone from your family circle may have bought an app or service on the app store. This could be the reason Apple is taking money from your account.

5. Compromised Apple ID

A hacker hacked may have used your Apple ID and details to make purchases from the app store in your name. if you think that your Apple ID has been compromised, you should contact Apple Support.

6. Apple account scam

Like everyone, chances are you get a bunch of messages asking you to update some password by clicking on a link, as well as spam emails trying to get hold of your details. 

Your Apple account  may not actually have been charged for anything, the message that notified you of that charge may be one of these scam messages for the sole purpose of gaining access to your personal info.

Access your Apple account without clicking on anything in the notification message, and double check whether the alleged charge is real before taking any further action.

What is the $9.99 charge from Apple?

A $9.99 charge from Apple can be multiple thing:

1. iCloud 2TB storage plan

A $9.99 charge could be for a 2TB iCloud storage plan for additional storage space. 

With your Apple ID, you have a free iCloud storage space of 5GB. If you want to extend it, you need to buy a storage plan.

Check your iCloud storage plan to see if you are getting charged for it without your knowledge. To do this:

1. Go to https://www.icloud.com
2. Sign into your account.
3. Click on “Account Settings” in the homepage

Here you’ll find any storage plan you’re subscribed to.

See also: Can I Use iCloud And OneDrive At The Same Time?

2. Apple Music

Apple music has a 3-month free subscription plan. Unless you cancel, as soon as the 3-month period ends you automatically start getting charged a monthly amount of $9.99 to your card.

Make sure to unsubscribe from Apple Music before you hit the end of your free trial period. 

See the section “How do I stop getting charged for Apple music?” further below.

3. Other apps

You might have subscribed to other services e.g. Apple Card, Apple News, etc, or purchased something from the app store e.g. a paid game or app, which results in a $9.99 monthly charge.

Why does iTunes keep charging my card?

iTune does not charge your account with no reason. There’s no subscription charge for iTunes either. So if iTunes is charging you it may be due to one of the following:

1. You may have purchased something from the app store. For example, downloaded a paid app or subscribed to in-app purchases.
2. You have made iTunes media purchases. These include ebooks, TV shows, music, movies, etc.
3. You have subscribed to third-party apps which are also billed through the app store.

How do I find out what Apple is charging me for?

In order to see what Apple is charging you for, you can:

1. Visit “reportaproblem.apple.com”.
2. Sign in to your Apple ID.
3. Your purchase list will appear.

Some purchases are grouped under a single purchase so you may need to check the full list to know what you are getting charged for.

How do I stop Apple taking money from my account?

In order to stop Apple from taking money from your account, you need to cancel the subscriptions that you are getting charged for.

Go to settings and check all your subscriptions. Cancel the ones that are draining money out of your account. To do that:

1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Tap on your name/ Apple ID on top of your screen.
3. Tap on “Subscriptions”. A list of subscripted apps and services will be listed on your screen.
4. Tap that specific subscription that you want to manage.
5. Tap on “Cancel Subscription”.
6. If you want to cancel the Apple One but still want to keep some of the subscriptions, you can choose “Individual Services”

How do I stop getting charged for Apple music?

You can cancel your Apple music subscription in order to stop getting charged for it. To do that:

1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Tap on your name/ Apple ID on top of your screen.
3. Tap on “Subscriptions”. A list of subscripted apps and services will be listed on your screen.
4. Tap on “Apple Music”.
5. Tap on “Cancel Subscription”

How long does it take for Apple to bill me for iTunes purchases?

It usually takes around 24 to 48 hours to bill your credit card for iTunes purchases. There are two main reasons for a delayed charge:

1. Grouped transactions

In order to save on credit card fees, Apple often groups transactions together. When you purchase something from iTunes, you are likely to make another purchase soon.

Apple waits for 24 to 48 hours to bill your card so it can group your purchases. It saves on credit card processing fees to bill 10 transactions at once rather than billing 10 individual purchases.

2. Buyer behavior

Delayed charging affects the psychology of the buyer. Getting a service and paying for it days or months later encourages the buyer to make more purchases. It promotes impulsive buying behavior of the buyer.

Does Apple refund unauthorized purchases?

In iOS 15, Apple introduced a new feature that let buyers request a refund for a purchase within the app itself. 

Previously users had the option to “Report a Problem” to claim any refunds or to issue a dispute through Apple’s website.

This is only possible if the developers of the app have used a “Request a Refund” option within the app. To use the option to request a refund:

1. Tap on the “Request a Refund” option within the app.
2. Select the purchase for which you want to issue a refund request
3. Describe the issue that motivates the refund request
4. Tap on the “Request Refund” button.

You will receive an email from Apple regarding the status of your refund request.

In addition to the new “Request a Refund” feature, you still have the “Report a Problem” option to file a dispute and/or request a refund. You will need to explain the reason, e.g. an accidental purchase.

Does Apple pay refund money if scammed?

In order to get a refund for a scam, you can cancel a payment or issue a dispute, depending on the status of payment processing.

1. Cancel the payment

In order to cancel the payment:

1. Open your “Messages” and tap on “Payment”.
2. Your “Wallet” app will open and your Apple Cash Card will be displayed under it.
3. Tap on “Payment” and then choose “Cancel Payment”.

If you don’t see a “Cancel Payment” option, this means that the payment has already been processed and the other person has accepted the payment.

Try to ask the recipient to send the money back to you. It may take 2-3 business days to get a refund.

2. Report a scam

You can also report a scam with Apple. To do this:

1. Visit “reportaproblem.apple.com”.
2. Click on “I would like to…” and choose “Report a Scam”.
3. Click on “Tell us more” and choose an option.
4. Tap on “Next”.
5. Choose an item for which you want to report a scam for.
6. Tap “Submit”

How do I contact Apple about unauthorized charges?

You can report unknown transactions by:

1. Open the “Wallet” and click on “Apple Card”.
2. Choose the transaction that you want to report from the list under “Latest Transactions”
3. Tap on “Report an issue”.
4. Choose an issue and tap on “Done”.

After that an Apple card specialist will initiate a chat with you so you can discuss your issue in detail.

Will Apple refund charges made by my child?

Apple usually responds to refund requests. However, be aware there is a time limit of a few hours to two days depending on the app. After this period, the option will no longer be available.

You can, however, cancel the payment if the receiver hasn’t accepted the amount yet. You can also report an issue to claim a refund from the app. To do this:

7. Visit “reportaproblem.apple.com”.
8. Click on “I would like to…” and choose “Request a Refund”.
9. Click on “Tell us more” and choose an option.
10. Tap on “Next”.
11. Choose an item for which you want to request a refund for.
12. Click on “Submit”

How do I get a refund from Apple Pay?

In order to get a refund using Apple Pay you need to provide additional information like the receipt. 

The refund will go back to your account. If you don’t have the receipt, you can provide your payment card device account number.

You may also need to provide other card related information and device authentication. Your refund may take a few days to appear on your card statement.

How long does an apple refund take?

You may receive an update about the refund within 24 to 48 hours. The time to refund the amount depends on the payment method you used.

Once the refund has been issued, the amount may take 7 – 10 days to show up on your Apple Wallet. Debit cards may take up to a month to get refunded by Apple.

Does Apple Pay refunds go to your bank account or debit card?

The refund will usually go back to the card you used to make the payment. If you used your bank account to make the payment, you will receive the refund amount to your bank account.

If you have used a credit card or debit card, you will get a refund to your credit or debit card. Your merchant will require some additional information before accepting a refund and device authentication is also needed.

Is it safe to link a bank account to Apple Pay?

It is safe to link a bank account to Apple Pay. Transactions with Apple Pay are secure and private and offer decent security to the users. It also keeps your personal information secure.

Apple does not store your credit or debit card numbers, and doesn’t  retain any transaction information.

Is Apple Pay safe on iPhone?

Apple Pay is safe on iPhone as it does not store your credit card data on your device. It uses a unique Device Identification Number for transactions, which is stored in a safe and secure place on your device.