Family sharing purchases

So has apple still not changed anything in the family sharing and purchases? It’s getting really frustrating as I want to make my own purchases with my money and not my parents. But to do that I’d have to leave family sharing and loose my iCloud storage plan. Why have they not made any updates to this? As it poses to have been an issue since 2014! Is there any way I can get around the stupid payment stuff without having to go out and buy gift cards all the time or using my dads debit card? Apple Pay wouldn’t accept my cash app card and I only ever carry cash other than that… so what do they want me to do? Because an android ain't looking so bad all of a sudden.

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 15

Posted on Aug 2, 2022 09:51 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 2, 2022 04:05 PM

That’s understandable but they should allow for more payment options especially for other adults on the family plan. It isn’t as user friendly the way they currently have it. Because I am not the admin for the family sharing plan I cannot add payment options without jumping through a bunch of hoops to do so. We only have one card on our account and so whilst I may not see my parents very often I cannot just add a payment method conveniently.

Similar questions

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 2, 2022 04:05 PM in response to Limnos

That’s understandable but they should allow for more payment options especially for other adults on the family plan. It isn’t as user friendly the way they currently have it. Because I am not the admin for the family sharing plan I cannot add payment options without jumping through a bunch of hoops to do so. We only have one card on our account and so whilst I may not see my parents very often I cannot just add a payment method conveniently.

Aug 2, 2022 11:08 AM in response to aniston128

You have always been able to use your own money, you simply have to do so in the form of adding balance to your account.


From: How to share purchases with your family - How to share purchases with your family - Apple Support

"When you turn on purchase sharing, everyone in your family gets access to apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that family members buy. The family organizer is billed for family members' purchases"

The second phrase is a bit over-simplified because others can still pay for their own items, they just have to use personal account balance to do so. Turning on purchase sharing simply activates the feature whereby if a family member does not have adequate personal balance to pay for something then the organizer's payment method (e.g., credit card) will be charged.

Read the document for the link to "learn how purchases are billed if a family member has Apple ID balance". This tells you how it works.


The payment method for Family Sharing is automatic:


1. If anybody in the family buys or subscribes to something, Apple first attempts to charge the item to that individual's Apple Account (Apple ID) balance, if any.

2. If a family member does not have enough personal Apple Account balance, any excess will be charged to the Family Organizer's primary payment method (usually a card of some kind). The Organizer's personal balance will not be used for purchases made by other family members. If it cannot bill the primary payment method, the Organizer will need to make another payment method the primary method.


- "Some purchases, including gifts, can't be billed to Apple ID balance and will be charged to the family organizer's payment method." "Some subscriptions might not be charged to Apple ID balance."


Ref:

- Family purchases and payments - How to share purchases with your family - Apple Support

- How App Store and iTunes Store purchases are billed - How apps, content, and subscriptions from Apple are billed - Apple Support

- Check your Apple ID balance - Check your Apple Account balance - Apple Support

- Change, add, or remove Apple ID payment methods - Change, add, or remove Apple ID payment methods - Apple Support


This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Family sharing purchases

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.