Unexpected $78.99 PicsArt subscription charge after free trial on iPhone

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Unexpected $78.99 PicsArt subscription charge after free trial on iPhone

I used a free trial with Picsart and was under the impression that it was cancelled because it did not show up in active subscriptions on my iPhone. I also went to download an app and it showed I needed to pay for two apps, neither was PicsArt. So I paid them and then randomly PicsArt charges me $78.99 for a yearly subscription. The subscription did not show active in my phone, nor did I even have the app any longer. I requested a refund and Apple denied the claim. I just saw multiple posts of people experiencing similar with PicsArt. What did you all do ?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Refund PicsArt

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Sep 25, 2025 11:22 AM

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Answer 1

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Mac Jim ID

Community+ 2026

Level 10

80,350 points

Sep 25, 2025 11:58 AM in response to BrookeSmarts

Apparently you had previous charges that were unable to be processed due to lack of funds or a billing problem. That is why you were required to pay for those transactions before you were able to continue and use the App Store. The option to cancel the free trial would only be available in Settings to cancel until a day before the subscription start date, and after that you should expect the subscription charge as stated on the Authorization Screen that required you to double click the side button.

You did not see the subscription in Settings because it was past the period to cancel the free trial and the subscription charge was pending. To view Pending charges, you would go into your Purchase History and those will be identified in red or show as Pending. Follow the steps for viewing purchase history on your device.

View your purchase history for the App Store and other Apple media services - Apple Support

Also note that PicsArt has a free trial/subscription that is not managed by Apple at all and users can bypass Apple and have PicsArt manage their subscriptions directly from their website. There are many people that have had a bad experience using this method and that has nothing to do with Apple. From what you described, that is not the case for you and yours was made with an in-app purchase, so others experience with their PicsArt subscription may not be the same as yours.

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Answer 2

BrookeSmarts Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 25, 2025 4:52 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

I cancelled the subscription and deleted the application well before the trial period ended. On the same day, I downloaded several apps to evaluate for a project, and the only one I chose to keep was ChatGPT. As far as the other apps, their trial subscriptions were clearly reflected under “active subscriptions,” which allowed me to review and cancel them without issue. This particular app, however, did not appear in the same way, making it impossible to confirm its status or prevent an unintended charge.

I now have a better understanding of how “pending charges” function, but at the time, I was unaware of this nuance. Thank you for explaining that process. That said, this is not an isolated incident. On a prior occasion, I even provided Apple with email confirmation proving a subscription had been cancelled on time, yet I still encountered resistance in resolving the matter.

Over the past few years, I’ve experienced an increasing number of challenges with Apple’s products and services, and the cumulative effect has been discouraging. At this stage, I am strongly considering stepping away from the Apple ecosystem altogether and returning to the Android community, where I hope to find a more transparent and reliable customer experience.

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Unexpected $78.99 PicsArt subscription charge after free trial on iPhone

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