Apple recently sent out an alert via iOS to the primary account holders of Apple Family Purchase Sharing. I have an Apple One plan that I share with my family and received a concerning alert that says “Family Purchase Sharing Update” with a red notification symbol.
I don’t want others to share my credit card on Apple
Mind you, I’ve never opted to share my credit card with the rest of the family in the Apple One family sharing. When you click the notification, it does not allow you to opt-out until you apparently opt-in to this function that enables others in the family to use your payment card.
This alert details a change to the default settings, which, if not addressed by the primary account holder, allows any user of that Apple Family Purchase Sharing Plan to charge the credit cards that the primary account holder has saved for use with their Apple services. This includes buying apps, games, music, products, accessories and more.
So, if your kids are on your Apple Family Purchase Sharing plan, unless parental restrictions have previously been setup, this means that they can simply use your credit cards associated with the sharing plan without your permission to make purchases.
How does Family Sharing work with making purchases?
Apple Family Sharing comes with Purchase Sharing, which allows up to six family members to share purchases made on the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books using a single payment method. These purchases must all fall under the payment method kept on file, and there is no way for each person on the account to have their own way of paying when they want to purchase something. The family organizer sets up the payment method and invites family members to join the group, which enables them to access the organizer’s payment method for making purchases.
How to disable your credit card purchasing in the family on Apple
If you are the family organizer and you choose to keep the new default setting, you should be aware of the potential risk and monitor your transactions regularly. If you are the family organizer and want to change the new default setting, you can follow these tips to disassociate your credit card from the account so that no one else on your Family Purchase Sharing Plan may have unchecked access to it.
Here’s how to disassociate your credit card from the account on your Apple device.
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Wallet & Apple Pay
- Under the “Payment Cards” section, tap on the card that you would like to disassociate.
- Info tab
- Tap on Stop Using This Card and then confirm your selection by tapping Stop Using and Remove
Here’s how to stop purchase sharing with your family
- Go to Settings
- Tap your name
- Tap Family Sharing
- Tap Purchase Sharing, then turn off Share Purchases with Family by
Credit: Apple
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Family Payment Method Alternative
There is also a way for you to pay for things without having to use the Family Payment Method.
How to add funds to your Apple ID
If you use an Apple Family Sharing account and you are not the organizer, you can still add funds to your own Apple ID. These funds will be used up first before payments for your purchases resume being charged to the organizer’s primary payment method.
Here’s how to set it up.
- Open your Settings app
- Click your name
- Select Media & Purchases
- Click View Account
- Use Face ID or enter your password if prompted to go to the next page
- Click Add Money to Account
- Select the amount you want to add or press Other to do a custom amount
- Once you have the amount, click Next
- Confirm the amount and press Done
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How to change the credit card associated with Family Sharing
If there is a specific payment you want to use and it’s not the one you currently have in place (i.e. you get a new credit card or simply want to switch cards), you can change the credit card you have on file for your Family Sharing account by following these steps.
- Open your Settings app
- Click your name
- Select Media & Purchases
- Click View Account
- Use Face ID or enter your password if prompted to go to the next page
- Click Manage Payments
- Click Add Payment Method
- Enter credit card information and press Done
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Final thoughts
Whether you received the alert via iOS or not now you are aware of this new default setting to your Apple Family Purchase sharing Plan. If you want to change the default setting or switch to a different payment method, follow the steps outlined in this article. By taking these precautions, you can help protect yourself from unauthorized purchases and ensure that your family’s purchases are charged to the right account. Also, to ensure your Apple Family Purchase Sharing Plan is secure, it’s important to monitor your transactions regularly.
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