App could charge my credit card using Apple Pay without my consent

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Level 1

9 points

App could charge my credit card using Apple Pay without my consent

I downloaded Instacart app from app store on my iPhone and logged in by using the Apple ID Login.

I tried to order some groceries and used Apple Pay witch is linked to my credit card to pay for it but the payment didn’t go through because the app didn’t accept it (their message was something like this: “prepayment cards are not acceptable”).

So without doing anything else I deleted the app and removed the app from Apple ID Logins in the setting on my iPhone.

After one month Instacart charged my credit card for approximately $100 for “subscription fee” !!

I’ve never asked for the subscription or anything and I didn’t even complete my order.

The app didn’t say anything about the subscription or free trials or anything like those. Also there is no track in my Apple Pay transactions or anything in Subscriptions in my phone settings related to this app, and I’ve never done anything related to this app by using my Apple Pay except one time trying to pay the grocery shopping payment witch was much lower than $100 and didn’t go through. Also I didn’t provide my credit card information to this app. I didn’t even give them my name.

Apple says that they don’t share costumers credit card number to the merchants so my question is how could this app have had access to my credit card information and charged it for a subscription? And if they haven’t had my credit card number, how they charged my credit card?

Is that possible that they actually used Apple Pay to charge me after one month without any further action from me and without my consent?

iPhone X, iOS 13

Posted on Mar 2, 2020 6:38 AM

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Answer 1

EliotGrey Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 2, 2020 5:14 PM in response to Phil0124

So there is no a big difference between Apple Pay and actual Credit Card. Even if you use your Apple Pay instead of using the credit card, merchant can save it in their system and can charge you using Apple Pay anytime they want to without your consent or without any further action required by you.

The interesting part is that there's a limit of $100 on Apple Pay purchases with Visa and MasterCard in Canada but this app (or merchant) was able to charge me using Apple Pay for CAD $103. How is this possible?!

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Answer 2

EliotGrey Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 2, 2020 5:25 PM in response to Cunnla

The Canadian limit

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Answer 3

Phil0124

Level 10

217,232 points

Mar 2, 2020 6:57 AM in response to EliotGrey

If you see the charge reflected in your card's statements, then there should be a subscription in your Apple ID. Also if the charge actually shows the name of the App, rather than itunes.com/bill or apple.com/bill, then it was not charged through Apple or your Apple ID.

However, looking the the InstaCart entry in the App store, it does not appear to even have a subscription.

Apps with subscriptions are are required to disclose them in their description in their store entry, as well as in their "in-app" purchases section in the apps details. Neither of which is the case for this App.

It does appear Instacart has an Express membership whic has a 14 day trial which atumatically turns into a paid subscripton for $99, but its not directly through the iTunes store, its an external option, in which case you would need to go directly through them, rather than Apple.

Since you added your Apple Pay as a payment method, its likely they were able to validate it, and charge it after the 14 day trial.

https://www.instacart.com/try-express

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Answer 4

Phil0124

Level 10

217,232 points

Mar 3, 2020 8:42 AM in response to EliotGrey

Apple Pay is a conduit, you had to add the payment option to the app for them to charge you. If you added it, then there's no reason for them or apple Pay to think you don't want to be charged.

Apple Pay prevents your actual credit card from being seen by the merchant, but it does not in any way unilaterally block charges from merchants where you had to have added the payment method yourself.

The description states it has a 14 day free trial that automatically renews into the paid yearly subscription. You agree to that when you install the App. You did in fact gave your consent at that time.

How they managed to charge you for more that the limit is a different question.

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Answer 5

EliotGrey Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 3, 2020 10:50 AM in response to Phil0124

I think you didn’t understand the situation at all.

I didn’t ADD any kind of payments to this app. Lol

I just tried to pay my ONE time order. It’s totally different.

If you have ever used Apple Pay you would have understood the difference.

If you were true, each time you’re paying at stores or online using the Apple Pay, you are actually adding it to their system so they can charge you whenever they want to even if you didn’t purchase anything from them. If it’s true Apple Pay is not trustworthy at all.

I have never agreed to anything.

How can’t you understand the difference between installing a free app and agreeing to a subscription?!

I just installed a free app, didn’t finish an order and deleted it, that’s all.

An app is misleading people and using Apple Pay security issues to charge people without any agreement and you are trying to justify it!

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Answer 6

Cunnla

Level 6

8,263 points

Mar 2, 2020 5:24 PM in response to EliotGrey

The latest exchange rate give CAD$103 as $77.23

Or did you mean the Canadian limit is CAD$100?

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App could charge my credit card using Apple Pay without my consent

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