I didn’t subscribe to this app. The money was taken without my permission. I haven’t used the subscription. Please help me get a refund. This charge is a mistake.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: Refund money
Unless this is a scam you are seeing in an email or a message and there isn’t actually any purchase, purchases are indeed “authorized” by somebody with access to your accounts, or equipment, or with your permission.
Your first step is to try to identify the reason for, and source of, any charges. They may be perfectly valid charges you simply do not recognize. In the case of emails or messages there is the possibility they are not real at all (phishing attempts).
The support article If you see 'apple.com/bill' on your billing statement - Apple Support and the related article Get help with charges from apple.com/bill - Apple Support explain how you can check your iTunes and App Stores purchase history, cancel subscriptions (remember that these need to be canceled at least 24 hours in advance), and track possible sources of unrecognized Apple charges you may see on a bill. These may be purchases by Family Sharing members, others sharing your card (such as a spouse or partner, or a second Apple Account you have; you may not see a receipt).
The article also provides a specific link for contacting Apple if you cannot trace the source of charges, e.g., if you subscribed to something directly with a third party, see: About purchases not billed through the App Store or the App Store’s In-App Purchase system - Apple Support instead. In that case you need to work directly with the vendor, not Apple.
If you use Apple Card you may find this document helpful too ➞ If you see an Apple Services charge you don't recognize on your Apple Card - Apple Support
Also note this service: View your App Store and iTunes Store purchases directly from your financial institution - Apple Support
"When you sign in to your financial institution website or mobile app and view your recent purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or for Apple Music or iCloud services, you may see an option—such as View Receipt—that allows you to view more details about your transaction."
Other possibilities to consider (not all may apply in your situation):
● If you see duplicate subscription charges on a card but only one in your Apple subscriptions list, you may have subscribed once in-app through Apple and a second time directly with the vendor on their web site (e.g., YouTube). Cancel one of your subscriptions. The same can happen if you have two Apple Accounts.
● Purchases can be made with your account if your Apple Account is compromised (read what to do ➞ If you think your Apple Account has been compromised - Apple Support ) or somebody else has access to your device (require a purchase password as explained in this article ➞ Require a password for purchases in the App Store and other Apple services - Apple Support ).
● If you only see a charge in emails or texts that are not official Apple receipts, it is likely phishing attempts (see the article: Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support ).
● If neither you, nor Apple, nor a Family Sharing member can account for a charge and it ONLY appears on a bill for a charge card you alone control, you may have been the victim of card fraud. Contact your financial institution immediately. Any reimbursement would have to come from them, not Apple. More here —> Refund Rejected on fraudulent transaction - Apple Community
● Small amounts of ~$1 may be an authorization hold that will be refunded (pending charge ➞ How apps, content, and subscriptions from Apple are billed - Apple Support ).
● Unanticipated amounts may be grouped charges ( https://support.apple.com/HT201359 ).
If using Family Sharing and viewing purchase history under Report A Problem, make sure the “Apple ID” box is set to “All.” If a purchase is listed in your purchase history and you want to ask for a refund, read this article about how to request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple ➞ https://support.apple.com/HT204084 Remember that many apps have trial periods with subscriptions that then start automatically unless you cancel them in time. If a Family Sharing member made the purchase then you need to discuss this with that person. They would have to initiate any refund request.
If a reporting a problem request is unsuccessful or you have another issue you can also speak with Apple ➞ https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region
Select your country (if you do not see your country, also look for "other" regions; e.g., "Other Africa"), then "Choose a product". Click the "show" item under each category for more selections. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.
or:
Contact Apple for support and service ➞ "See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world."
Click here ➞ https://support.apple.com/HT201232
Unless this is a scam you are seeing in an email or a message and there isn’t actually any purchase, purchases are indeed “authorized” by somebody with access to your accounts, or equipment, or with your permission.
Your first step is to try to identify the reason for, and source of, any charges. They may be perfectly valid charges you simply do not recognize. In the case of emails or messages there is the possibility they are not real at all (phishing attempts).
The support article If you see 'apple.com/bill' on your billing statement - Apple Support and the related article Get help with charges from apple.com/bill - Apple Support explain how you can check your iTunes and App Stores purchase history, cancel subscriptions (remember that these need to be canceled at least 24 hours in advance), and track possible sources of unrecognized Apple charges you may see on a bill. These may be purchases by Family Sharing members, others sharing your card (such as a spouse or partner, or a second Apple Account you have; you may not see a receipt).
The article also provides a specific link for contacting Apple if you cannot trace the source of charges, e.g., if you subscribed to something directly with a third party, see: About purchases not billed through the App Store or the App Store’s In-App Purchase system - Apple Support instead. In that case you need to work directly with the vendor, not Apple.
If you use Apple Card you may find this document helpful too ➞ If you see an Apple Services charge you don't recognize on your Apple Card - Apple Support
Also note this service: View your App Store and iTunes Store purchases directly from your financial institution - Apple Support
"When you sign in to your financial institution website or mobile app and view your recent purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or for Apple Music or iCloud services, you may see an option—such as View Receipt—that allows you to view more details about your transaction."
Other possibilities to consider (not all may apply in your situation):
● If you see duplicate subscription charges on a card but only one in your Apple subscriptions list, you may have subscribed once in-app through Apple and a second time directly with the vendor on their web site (e.g., YouTube). Cancel one of your subscriptions. The same can happen if you have two Apple Accounts.
● Purchases can be made with your account if your Apple Account is compromised (read what to do ➞ If you think your Apple Account has been compromised - Apple Support ) or somebody else has access to your device (require a purchase password as explained in this article ➞ Require a password for purchases in the App Store and other Apple services - Apple Support ).
● If you only see a charge in emails or texts that are not official Apple receipts, it is likely phishing attempts (see the article: Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support ).
● If neither you, nor Apple, nor a Family Sharing member can account for a charge and it ONLY appears on a bill for a charge card you alone control, you may have been the victim of card fraud. Contact your financial institution immediately. Any reimbursement would have to come from them, not Apple. More here —> Refund Rejected on fraudulent transaction - Apple Community
● Small amounts of ~$1 may be an authorization hold that will be refunded (pending charge ➞ How apps, content, and subscriptions from Apple are billed - Apple Support ).
● Unanticipated amounts may be grouped charges ( https://support.apple.com/HT201359 ).
If using Family Sharing and viewing purchase history under Report A Problem, make sure the “Apple ID” box is set to “All.” If a purchase is listed in your purchase history and you want to ask for a refund, read this article about how to request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple ➞ https://support.apple.com/HT204084 Remember that many apps have trial periods with subscriptions that then start automatically unless you cancel them in time. If a Family Sharing member made the purchase then you need to discuss this with that person. They would have to initiate any refund request.
If a reporting a problem request is unsuccessful or you have another issue you can also speak with Apple ➞ https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region
Select your country (if you do not see your country, also look for "other" regions; e.g., "Other Africa"), then "Choose a product". Click the "show" item under each category for more selections. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.
or:
Contact Apple for support and service ➞ "See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world."
Click here ➞ https://support.apple.com/HT201232
Purchases made on your device are only possible when you double click the side button with the amount showing on the screen, followed by verification with Face ID/Touch ID or Passcode. For a free trial, you also see the trial period, subscription start date, subscription price and the VERY important message that to avoid a subscription charge you must cancel a day before the trial period is over. That is giving Apple permission to charge your account.
In most cases all transactions in the App Store are final due to the intentional action and authorization needed for a purchase. At times Apple may provide a compassionate refund by using the link below, but it should never be expected.
Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support
View your purchase history for the App Store and other Apple media services - Apple Support
Apple will make the final decision after you request a refund and there is no further discussion that will overturn any decision that is made. The additional information provided here is an attempt to prevent that from happening to you again and depends on what actually happened. Apple is not taking money from your account without authorization, so you need to determine how that authorization occurred and the attempt here is to get as much information as possible to assist you in figuring that out.
If it is not in your Purchase History and you are not an Organizer of a Family Plan where authorization is made for others to make purchases to your payment method, then that would indicate your financial account has been compromised and you will need to dispute the charge with your bank.
If it is in your Purchase History and the charge was from a free trial on a downloaded app and not made by you, then your device has been compromised by someone else knowing your Passcode and has physical access to your device. Change your Passcode immediately and be aware that giving anyone your Passcode, authorizes them you use your device and that includes making purchases. You can prevent that with Screen Time Restrictions, but those tools would have to be used by you first, to prevent a purchase with your Passcode.
Hello,
I want to clearly say that I NEVER double-tapped or confirmed any purchase. I did not receive any notification or message about a subscription.
I only found out after checking my bank balance because the amount was reduced. This charge has taken a large portion of my monthly salary, and now I’m struggling even to provide food for my children this month.
This situation has caused me a lot of stress. I kindly request you to please refund this amount. I never authorized this subscription, and I hope you can understand my situation and help me.
Thank you.**
How do I get a refund for an unauthorized app subscription on Apple Account?
