HT201079: Family purchases and payments

Learn about Family purchases and payments
James Emmitt

Q: Family Sharing: Will there be a way family members can use their own payment for purchases rather than using the organisers credit card?

Family Sharing: Will there be a way family members can use their own payment for purchases rather than using the organisers credit card?

Posted on May 31, 2015 12:02 AM

Close

Q: Family Sharing: Will there be a way family members can use their own payment for purchases rather than using the organisers credit ... more

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by ed2345,Apple recommended

    ed2345 ed2345 May 31, 2015 3:57 AM in response to James Emmitt
    Level 7 (24,801 points)
    May 31, 2015 3:57 AM in response to James Emmitt

    James Emmitt wrote:

     

    Family Sharing: Will there be a way family members can use their own payment for purchases rather than using the organisers credit card?

     

    James, Yes, that is exactly how it works.

     

    As the non-Organizer members cannot use a credit card, the means of payment must be a store credit balance.

     

    "After you set up your family, any time a family member initiates a new purchase it will be billed directly to your account unless that family member has gift or store credit. First, their store credit will be used to pay the partial or total bill. The remainder will bill to the family organizer's card."

     

    For details. see this document:

    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201079

  • by Reddog3d,Helpful

    Reddog3d Reddog3d Jul 23, 2015 8:55 PM in response to ed2345
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jul 23, 2015 8:55 PM in response to ed2345

    Why does Apple restrict their customers this way? This is just stupid that if I share purchases with my wife, she has to use my credit card to make any purchases of her own.

     

    PLEASE provide a way to have a separate billing method on Adult (over 18) family share members. To not do so is just intentionally inconveniencing your customers.

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Jul 24, 2015 7:27 AM in response to Reddog3d
    Level 9 (53,951 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 24, 2015 7:27 AM in response to Reddog3d

    Reddog3d wrote:

     

    Why does Apple restrict their customers this way?

    Apple does not provide reasons for doing things a certain way but "prevent piracy" is a good place to start when asking this kind of question. What may be required of them by the media companies who get to say if they are allowed to sell their music?  My guess is to limit "family" so it isn't just a circle of friends.  If you do not know somebody well enough to be willing to permit a certain degree of financial linkage then they probably aren't really family.

  • by WinstonE,

    WinstonE WinstonE Sep 13, 2015 12:35 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 2 (283 points)
    iPad
    Sep 13, 2015 12:35 PM in response to Limnos

    I also have a big problem with requiring a single account for charges. I've given my kids allowance since they were 5 or 6 years old so that they could make their own decision about things like buying a song or renting a movie from iTunes. The easiest way for me to track this is to use different credit cards for each child, and, with older children who have a bank account, have them use their own debit card. Note that I'm the credit card holder or am a "custodian" (for a minor's checking account) or co-signer on the checking accounts. So all of these accounts are tied to me.

     

    I do not want to approve purchases, and I don't want my kids to have to have me available to approve purchases. And I especially don't want to try to keep track of my kid's (or my wife's) purchases - I want this to be automated.

     

    If piracy is an issue, then there should not be a problem with my using different credit cards, or debit cards, for each account, if the accounts are tied to me.

     

    Apple could also provide a statement that breaks down charges by user.

     

    There are ways to make this work that solve the piracy concerns. I don't think Apple has fully thought this through.

  • by roktrman8,

    roktrman8 roktrman8 Oct 29, 2015 9:58 AM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 9:58 AM in response to Limnos

    However, I do know my family well enough.  It is not that my family is like that of a Fast and Furious, Vin Diesel affair; instead, it is family related by blood that like to instill a sense of autonomy in their family in order to better prepare them for the real world.

  • by JacqueHarper,

    JacqueHarper JacqueHarper Nov 11, 2015 3:37 AM in response to WinstonE
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 11, 2015 3:37 AM in response to WinstonE

    I agree.

     

    My situation is that both my wife and I make purchases that are for our respective Schedule C businesses, in addition to non-business purchases. The simplest way to keep track of these is to use separate credit card accounts. I'm hopeful that some of the other threads I see in the forum will shed some light on other ways to manage this. Or that some improvement will come in the future allowing use of additional payment methods at the buyer's discretion at the time of purchase.

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Nov 11, 2015 10:55 AM in response to JacqueHarper
    Level 10 (85,833 points)
    iPod
    Nov 11, 2015 10:55 AM in response to JacqueHarper

    Use iTunes Feedback.

     

    tt2

  • by Sadietnfk,

    Sadietnfk Sadietnfk Nov 11, 2015 1:42 PM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 11, 2015 1:42 PM in response to turingtest2

    Family Sharing requires one credit card for all payments unless there is store credit on the account. If you don't want this then don't setup Family Sharing, there are always going to be rules for everything is life, get used to it.

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Nov 11, 2015 2:04 PM in response to Sadietnfk
    Level 10 (85,833 points)
    iPod
    Nov 11, 2015 2:04 PM in response to Sadietnfk

    I'm happy with the way it works. The suggestion to use feedback was for those that aren't but would like what they see as possible improvements as opposed to just not using it at all. Apple won't read that kind of feedback here.

     

    tt2