Recurring charge via Apple Pay – hidden subscription, no consent

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Level 1

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Recurring charge via Apple Pay – hidden subscription, no consent

Hi everyone,

In May, I used Apple Pay with my Austrian debit card (Sparkasse Kufstein) to place what I believed to be a one-time order on a merchant website (Pets Deli, Germany). However, a month later, another charge appeared on my account — without any authorization, approval, or prior notification through Apple Pay.

It turns out this was actually a hidden subscription. I was never clearly informed that I was enrolling in a recurring payment plan. There was no visible indication during checkout, no mention in the Apple Pay interface, and the confirmation looked like a standard one-time purchase. According to Apple Support, recurring payments must be clearly labeled with frequency and conditions — which did not happen.

My bank has since flagged the transaction as a subscription trap and cancelled my debit card. I now have no way to view or manage this payment in my Wallet or Apple Pay settings, which raises serious concerns about user control and payment transparency.

I would really appreciate clarification:

Was this transaction tokenized according to Apple Pay standards?
How could the merchant charge me again without any reauthorization?
What protections exist for users who unknowingly fall into subscription models via Apple Pay?

Thanks in advance,

Dita

Posted on Jun 5, 2025 7:57 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,670 points

Jun 6, 2025 4:43 AM in response to ditavanZin

It sounds like you inadvertently (or unknowingly) signed up for a subscription. When a card holder starts a subscription, the merchant receives a merchant token from your iPhone that allows charges to be submitted by the merchant. When you signed up for the subscription you preauthorized purchases. This may be known as a Card on File (COF) transaction in your country/region.

Apple has no authority in this matter (in most countries, maybe all). Your bank and the merchant control the token. Apple has no traceable information about the transaction or the ability to revoke a token.

These forums are hosted by Apple but they do not participate or even read comments. There is no mechanism to get this reviewed. Again, you’ll need to use the links provided in my first post to contact Apple Support. If you want some kind of follow up, you’ll need to call or write a letter to Apple. Personally, I’d start in your country, but you may end up in Ireland, home of Apple’s European headquarters.

Apple Support Community is a public discussion forum for fellow Apple users to connect, assist each other, share tips and solutions. Apple hosts the community, but is not a participant and will never read your comment. If you would like to leave feedback for Apple please use the link below.

Feedback - Apple Pay - Apple

Corporate Address

Apple

One Apple Park Way

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408) 996–1010

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Answer 2

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,670 points

Jul 16, 2025 6:33 PM in response to applisslippin

The merchant doesn’t need to ask permission. The permission was granted by you when you initially agreed to start a subscription and used your credit or debit card for the payment method. Disabling Apple Pay has no effect on your subscription. Replacing a card (as you learned) has no effect either because the bank and/or Payment Network Operator (Visa, Mastercard, American Express etc.) update the merchant instantly of the account changes. It’s called Automatic Billing Updater. You must contact the merchant to cancel a subscription. Have you contacted the merchant?

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Answer 3

Jul 16, 2025 3:59 PM in response to ditavanZin

Hi, I had the same issue with Lycamobile who charges me monthly for a bunch of subscriptions without ever asking me for my consent. I asked my bank to fix this issue but all they could do was replace my card. Guess what, it made no difference and the fraudulent company could still charge my Apple Pay even after that. It's truly bizarre, but it looks like the only way to get around it is to disable Apple Pay on my phone.

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Answer 4

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,670 points

Jun 5, 2025 8:10 AM in response to ditavanZin

Hi, you’ll need to speak to Apple Support in Austria or where the transaction took place. While I’m very familiar with US law, the EU could have different processes and procedures that I’m unfamiliar with. I don’t want to mis inform you and cause additional confusion.

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

Official Apple Support

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Answer 5

ditavanZin Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 5, 2025 8:43 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Hi Jeff,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply – I truly appreciate it.

Yes, I’m based in Austria, and I’ve already tried to go through the official Apple Pay support channels for the EU. Unfortunately, they only lead me to general support forms or feedback pages that explicitly say no personal response will be provided. That’s exactly why I posted here in the community – I was hoping to find clarity, or at least raise visibility for an issue that clearly affects user trust.

Honestly, it’s extremely frustrating that there’s no way to contact Apple Pay directly in writing – especially when it comes to something as sensitive as unauthorized recurring charges and possible violations of Apple Pay’s own standards.

I followed the process in good faith: I used Apple Pay, assumed it would protect me, and ended up in a hidden subscription scenario. My bank had to block my debit card completely. I still don’t know what kind of access the merchant had or how this could have happened under Apple Pay’s security model.

If there’s any way to flag this thread internally or escalate it to someone who handles merchant policy or EU payment compliance, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks again for responding,

Dita

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Recurring charge via Apple Pay – hidden subscription, no consent

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