Is there seriously still no way to make my own purchases on a family plan?

[aParkerMusic]

The post reminds me of an unemployed 44yo whining about her parents not giving a allowance hike.

It’s actually the complete opposite of that, though…. The OP is not asking for other people to give them money, they want to use their own money.

The tone in this thread is shocking, and the confusion on the part of the detractors is really odd. You all don’t seem to be understanding the complaint.

 

[RuRu971]

I really understand the thread starter's problem!
It's not about the account. It's about Apple's decision to now allow adult family members to use their own credit card.

Me and my wife both have our own Apple IDs since forever. Lately, I have been upgrading my iCloud Storage to 2TB so we decided that she is canceling her 50GB plan and I'll add her in a newly created 'family' to share the 2TB and a couple of Apps, I bought some time ago.
Now she is not able to use her credit card for new tranactions, althou she's been using it for ages in her account. Every once in a while, when she is buying some in-App-suff for her games, it is charged off my credit card as I am the familiy organizer!
And that is just stupid! Why not let adult members of a familiy use their own credit card AND let them used shared storage? For child members that is a totally different story and absolutely OK the way it works. But for adults with a credit card active in their accounts?!?
That really IS stupid, I totally agree here!

We are living near the border and moved to another country.Thy to change your adres only possible with account on zero(0,2 cents on it)and waiting every app is annulated and the end of the purchase.
We decided to buy nothing at all and started using android apps.

 

[aParkerMusic]

Get out of the family plan and make your own account?

They already have their own account….

Family sharing involves multiple accounts joining together to have shared access to things like app/media purchases and subscriptions. It still requires everyone to have their own account. And Family Sharing can consist entirely of adult accounts.

I imagine this one-payment-method rule is a way for Apple to try and make sure the people using Family Sharing actually have a close relationship, in that they can counted on to deal with the shared payment method, in a way that a bunch of casual friends might not (which might lead to a lot more casual sharing, and a lot less individual purchases…see Netflix).

That being said, I understand the OPs annoyance.

 

[TokyoKiller]

I am 30 years old, I am more than capable of making my own payment decisions and should have that right to use my own money.

Then leave the family plan and start doing so. Don’t complain.

 

[TracerAnalog]

It’s actually the complete opposite of that, though…. The OP is not asking for other people to give them money, they want to use their own money.

The tone in this thread is shocking, and the confusion on the part of the detractors is really odd. You all don’t seem to be understanding the complaint.

I understand the complaint. The solutions are simple: leave the family plan or charge up your Apple credit. The tone was set by OP. He could also have asked the community ‘how do I use my own credit card when I’m using Family Share’. Simple answer: ‘buy Apple credit’.

 

[Splitrail]

Are these these "limitations" not outlined in the user agreement, either specifically or by omission?

 

[Catasstrophy]

Are these these "limitations" not outlined in the user agreement, either specifically or by omission?

They are quite clear at the time of set up for the family sharing. OP wants to share when it's convenient but do his own thing when it isn't. I have a 6 person family sharing set up and they all just venmo me if they make a purchase. This is such a non issue.

 

[heretiq]

I am 30 years old, I am more than capable of making my own payment decisions and should have that right to use my own money.

I don’t understand why this is a problem - I have family sharing with my SO (I’m the family sharing Organizer) and we both make purchases using independent cards as well as purchases using my shared card without the issue you describe (in fact zero issues to date). This is an Apple feature that “just works” for us.

Do you have your own payment method set up in Settings > User Account (at top of Settings) > Payment & Shipping?

If you do have your own card added, make sure your card expiration date and CVV are entered properly.

If not, try adding your own card with card number, expiration date and CVV entered properly.

Hope this helps.

 

[Catasstrophy]

I’m on a family plan and I cannot purchase things through the App Store. It requires me to verify the credit card information of the family organizer.

All I want to do is use my own ****ING CARD to make my own ****ING PURCHASE. I am a ****ING ADULT.

If you're an adult and all you want is to make your own purchases using your own payment method, why are you part of a plan that is designed to literally do the opposite? 🤔

 

[heretiq]

They already have their own account….

Family sharing involves multiple accounts joining together to have shared access to things like app/media purchases and subscriptions. It still requires everyone to have their own account. And Family Sharing can consist entirely of adult accounts.

I imagine this one-payment-method rule is a way for Apple to try and make sure the people using Family Sharing actually have a close relationship, in that they can counted on to deal with the shared payment method, in a way that a bunch of casual friends might not (which might lead to a lot more casual sharing, and a lot less individual purchases…see Netflix).

That being said, I understand the OPs annoyance.

I’m not aware of this “one-payment rule.” Me and my SO have family sharing with separate and shared cards which are used regularly without the issue OP identified. The problem is likely due to the OP missing information such as expiration date or CVV on their personal card if one is setup — or being prompted for one as a security check. I suspect this might be the case and OP is getting confused by the language of the prompt.

 

[djcerla]

I am not the family organizer and it is not my card. The family organizer is unreachable at the moment.

it's exactly how the system is supposed to work then

 

[heretiq]

I am not the family organizer and it is not my card. The family organizer is unreachable at the moment.

If you have your own purchase method set up make sure your card number, expiration date and CVV are entered properly and try again.

 

[Catasstrophy]

I’m not aware of this “one-payment rule.” Me and my SO have family sharing with separate and shared cards which are used regularly without the issue OP identified. The problem is likely due to the OP missing information such as expiration date or CVV on their personal card if one is setup — or being prompted for one as a security check. I suspect this might be the case and OP is getting confused by the language of the prompt.

That's not how family sharing has ever worked for us and also contradicts apples own explanation. The organizers payment method is the one that is always used for family sharing.

 

[heretiq]

View attachment 2348337
That's not how family sharing has ever worked for us and also contradicts apples own explanation. The organizers payment method is the one that is always used for family sharing.

This is a head scratcher. I see the language posted, but can assure you that family sharing is working as described (independent as well as shared purchases) for me and SO. And the suggested fix (make sure OP card is added and has expiration date and CVV entered) is confirmed in searches on Apple support forum.

 

[Lift Bar]

It's similar to how Google manages YouTubeTV: if you're not the primary account holder, you can't add extras like 4K or other add-ons, even if it's just for your use. This isn't about whether you're an adult or not; it's about preventing ways to bypass the system to reduce costs.

 

[nottorp]

I understand the complaint. The solutions are simple: leave the family plan or charge up your Apple credit. The tone was set by OP. He could also have asked the community ‘how do I use my own credit card when I’m using Family Share’. Simple answer: ‘buy Apple credit’.

But Apple's decision is idiotic. They should at the least rename the family plan to 'adult and minor dependents' plan. Because a family plan it isn't.

Yes, I've had to kick my adult daughter off our 'family plan' for some similar idiotic reason. I believe she couldn't change the ****ing country for her account - she's studying in a different country now.

So no, it's not a 'family' plan.

 

[aj_niner]

But Apple's decision is idiotic. They should at the least rename the family plan to 'adult and minor dependents' plan. Because a family plan it isn't.

Yes, I've had to kick my adult daughter off our 'family plan' for some similar idiotic reason. I believe she couldn't change the ****ing country for her account - she's studying in a different country now.

So no, it's not a 'family' plan.

Your situation's an outlier and does not fit the definition of a family plan as defined by the ToS.

 

[Lyrics23]

I had this issue when I bought my first iPhone, (12 mini at launch, coming from Android), except I’m the family organiser, and I also set up a new iPhone for my mum at the same time.

There is no way for family members to independently use their own cards to make their own purchases.

It was a nightmare, and frustrating for both of us. It was so unintuitive that I thought I must be doing something wrong, but no, after contacting support they confirmed that only the family organiser’s card can be used by all members.

An option to use the family card makes sense, but disabling the ability for family to control their own finances and use their own card at all is ridiculous.

Mum can obviously manage her own finances, and managing their own money is absolutely something children need to learn too.

Equally important is the option for independence and privacy of choosing their own purchases without everything being reviewed by the organiser. Which is also not currently possible.

It was honestly a terrible introduction to the Apple ecosystem for the both of us, and really gave lie to the idea that “it just works”. Thankfully this happened to be the worst Apple experience we’ve had in the years since, and we’ve otherwise been mostly happy (family sharing disabled, of course), but it really wasn’t a good start.

And all I wanted was to be the family organiser to make things simpler for the less technologically inclined members of the family.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I have my minor kids, wife and Mom on the family plan. Only time they get asked for verification is when my card has expired or not valid. I update the card and none of the family members are pestered again. If you are an adult, get your own account.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I had this issue when I bought my first iPhone, (12 mini at launch, coming from Android), except I’m the family organiser, and I also set up a new iPhone for my mum at the same time.

There is no way for family members to independently use their own cards to make their own purchases.

It was a nightmare, and frustrating for both of us. It was so unintuitive that I thought I must be doing something wrong, but no, after contacting support they confirmed that only the family organiser’s card can be used by all members.

An option to use the family card makes sense, but disabling the ability for family to control their own finances and use their own card at all is ridiculous.

Mum can obviously manage her own finances, and managing their own money is absolutely something children need to learn too.

Equally important is the option for independence and privacy of choosing their own purchases without everything being reviewed by the organiser. Which is also not currently possible.

It was honestly a terrible introduction to the Apple ecosystem for the both of us, and really gave lie to the idea that “it just works”. Thankfully this happened to be the worst Apple experience we’ve had in the years since, and we’ve otherwise been mostly happy (family sharing disabled, of course), but it really wasn’t a good start.

And all I wanted was to be the family organiser to make things simpler for the less technologically inclined members of the family.

Apple built this more for Minors from getting ripped off with IAP game purchases. Everything goes through the organizer.

 

[nottorp]

Your situation's an outlier and does not fit the definition of a family plan as defined by the ToS.

Oh really. Excuse me for reading about 'family' in dictionaries and not in Apple's ToS

 

[TechnoMonk]

Bigger problem for me was Apple refusing to merge old Apple iTunes ID with the iCloud account. My organizer account is my old account used for iTunes and App Store purchases. My .Mac icloud ID had to be added to the family to use everything together.

 

[aevan]

Of all the butt-stupid ways that Apple forces you to use their own subpar ways to get things done, this has to be far and above the most idiotic, braindead, not-thought-through aspect of the entire ecosystem:

I’m on a family plan and I cannot purchase things through the App Store. It requires me to verify the credit card information of the family organizer.

All I want to do is use my own ****ING CARD to make my own ****ING PURCHASE. I am a ****ING ADULT.

If you want to use your own ****ING CARD to make your own ****ING PURCHASE, why don’t you make you account outside the family, add your own ****ING CARD and buy things, then sign into the family account when you need it? It takes like 10 seconds to switch between app store accounts. Or just, don’t be a part of a family where someone else pays for your stuff. You know, since you’re a ****ING ADULT.

 

[Lyrics23]

Apple built this more for Minors from getting ripped off with IAP game purchases. Everything goes through the organizer.

That the App Store is so full of predatory IAPs negates this argument. Apple could solve this problem at its source, but so long as their cut is lucrative I suspect nothing will change.

Having the option for a family card which young children can request purchases through is a good feature.

Lacking the ability to give those children management of their own spending as they grow a little older is a serious omission. Young teenagers, for example.

 

[Lift Bar]

Oh really. Excuse me for reading about 'family' in dictionaries and not in Apple's ToS

In this case the spirit of it is more like a household. Rather than a collection of adults who live in different countries with the same last name.