How purchases are grouped
Some purchases might be grouped together onto a single charge, so if you don't recognize a charge, check your purchase history. You can also look for the receipts in the email account that's associated with your Apple ID.
If you’re in Europe, purchases might not be grouped, depending on your country or region.
Single item
Some purchases and subscriptions are billed individually.
Grouped items
Purchases that you make in the App Store, iTunes Store, or through other Apple services might be grouped together on one bill.
Which payment method is charged
This is the order in which Apple attempts to charge your payment methods:
- If you have an Apple ID balance, Apple attempts to use your Apple ID balance to cover the full amount of the bill.
- If you don't have an Apple ID balance or you don't have enough balance to cover the full amount of the bill, Apple attempts to charge your primary payment method. Your primary payment method is the payment method that's listed at the top of your Manage Payments page.
- If there's a problem with the primary payment method, or if the primary payment method can't be charged for the full remaining amount, Apple attempts to charge your other payment methods in order from top to bottom. When there is a problem with a payment method, you might see red text next to it on the Manage Payments page.
If a purchase fails to charge to all of the payment methods that you have on file, a negative balance is applied to your Apple ID. You won't be able to make any new purchases or update your apps until you update your payment methods. After you update your payment methods, the negative balance charges immediately to your updated primary payment method.
If you change your primary payment method, purchases that you haven't paid for will be charged to the payment method that was your primary when you authorized them.
More about charges to Apple ID balance
Subscriptions might not be charged to your Apple ID. And in the following situations, your Apple ID balance won't be charged:
- When a family member in a Family Sharing group makes a purchase, their personal Apple ID balance is charged. If there isn't enough balance to cover the purchase, the remainder is charged to the primary payment method on the family organizer's Apple ID.
- If you gift money, an app, or other items with your Apple ID, any Apple ID balance that you have will be skipped, and the purchase charges to your primary payment method.
Get more help with billing
- You can view, change, or cancel your subscriptions.
- Learn about the payment methods that you can use with your Apple ID and how to add or remove payment methods.
- To use Ask to Buy and manage purchases made by family members, set up Family Sharing.
- Did you see a pending charge from Apple? Depending on the payment method that you use for a purchase, we might obtain preapproval for an amount up to the total price of the bill.