How to check what is owed on your iTunes account

If you owe iTunes money it's likely to be the amount of your last purchase (or purchases if you did a few close together) : See your purchase history in the App Store or iTunes Store on your Mac or PC - Apple Support

Hey guys,

This wasn't meant to be a personal attack to anyone but people are making it a vendetta to prove each other wrong. The phrase I should have used is: This is somewhat incorrect. The original poster didn't request billing types or how they charge you, just simply how do they find out what is owed. Most of that information you've provided is talking about my post.

Please keep this relevant to the OP because that's why we're here.

You can owe iTunes money, because I do! I use a debit card ( in the USA ) and I don't have enough in my account to cover what I bought on iTunes, now I can't buy or download anything until I put more money in my debit card to cover what I owe! This happens because iTunes often doesn't charge your card until days, or sometimes a week after the purchase...stupid I know, when I pay for something I expect it to be taking out then!! How to check just go to Apple ID>account>purchase history !

Well first off I have to say that devsquare is in fact correct for everywhere outside of the U.S. I currently owe money to Apple as I am using a MOGO prepaid visa. i recently grabbed some chips for my zynga poker app and my card balance was a few cents short. These card authorized the payment immediately, however, I take a few minutes for the payment to process through your iTunes account. So what happens is iTunes releases the download as it appears the payment has gone through. Once the system realizes the payment was declined it locks out all downloads using that id until the owing amount is paid or when the billing info is set up for another card. As for the OP DanHodsons answer is the best one for you.

Everyone needs to realize that the info and terms of use change per region therefore making it hard to answer questions like these. That being said your opinion, interpretations, and guesses are not facts.

Phil0124 wrote:

We already asnwered the OP. I'm just trying to clarify the issue of how iTunes bills, and why its really unlikely you can owe anything to iTunes. That's the way forums work. You say something , I say something else, if one of us makes a mistake we can clarify.

In any case its not something I've come across in the many years I've used iTunes to buy things and since I've never seen it, and there's no mention of it in any of Apple's documentation I can find, its not something that I would consider telling people is the norm. Maybe somewhat possible, but still very unlikely to happen.

So like you said:

DevSquare wrote:

It's a good idea to research what you're telling the community because people really rely on a comprehensive response.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That doesn't help anyone as its solely based on your interpretation on how their billing works not actual facts. In actuality the documentation you show has nothing to do with being able to owe apple. It's simply stating that if you have more that one billing method set up, that is order that they will go through the payment methods to cover the amount of your purchase.

You may wish to start here:

iTunes - Official Apple Support

DevSquare wrote:

Well that is entirely incorrect.

I'm not sure where else in the world you can but in Australia you can have Debit Cards which are linked to your main Bank Account. These work as Credit Cards but use the balance in you Main Account. So there is no fees incurred and its very simple to use.

I have purchased apps from the store before and didnt realise that I didn't have the money in my account but it still let me buy it. Thus put my account into a negative and I had to fix the amount before my next purchase.

It's a good idea to research what you're telling the community because people really rely on a comprehensive response.

As for the OP: The feature to see how much you owe used to display upon re-entering your Security Code on your card when you had sufficient funds. Now when you have brought the balance from a negative it will send you a reciept.

Good Day

I'm sorry,but entirely incorrect?

According to Apple's own Article on the subject, they attempt to bill in a specified order.

Order of iTunes billing methods

When making purchases, content credits are used first, followed by Gift Certificate, iTunes Card, or Allowance Account credits; your credit card or PayPal account is then charged for any remaining balance.

iTunes Store: How iTunes Store purchases are billed

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5582

Nowhere does it say "we let you download if you don't have enough balance and then you can settle with us".

Also its possible your debit card has a provision in Australia to allow the charge if there's not enough balance and the charge is below a certain threshold. In which case you would have to settle the pending balance with your bank, not iTunes directly.

In any case, if you try to purchase something without enough credit on your accepted form of payment (which incidentally does not include Debit cards) then the charge will not happen and no download should ocurr.

This I've seen many times. If my iTunes card balance is not enough, and my credit card limit has been reached (yes its happened a few times) I cannot download anything. I've seen it happen with friends too several times.

There is just no conceivable way iTunes would allow you to owe the system money, because it would be a logistics nightmare. Apple is not in the business of collecting past dues. There's no way they would allow that to happen.

Best case, you settled with your Bank not directly with iTunes.

With that said, I think its a little rude to claim the entire statement is incorrect. Clearly there were parts that were accurate and correct.

There may have been a discrepancy with your experience, but the answer is based on research, of Apple's own statements, and articles which is at this point the Authority on how their billing works. If there's a difference in Billing in Australia, I cannot say, it very well may be, as far As I know based on reading Apple's articles, and my own experience, is there is no way to owe iTunes directly.

So to you I say, unless you have concrete evidence, of more than one case, and a somewhat fuzzy one at that, refrain from stating other people's answers are entirely incorrect.

Notice I never said your statement was entirely incorrect, which it very well may be.

You can't ever owe anything to iTunes. If you have Credit Card associated with your Apple ID, then all purchases are charged to it, and you would owe the Credit Card company not iTunes. Any charges would appear in your monthly statement.

If you have redeemed an iTunes Gift Card, then you can only purchase items as long as your account has enough credit. Once your balance is down to 0 you need to add more credit to your account or add a Credit card if you wish to keep purchasing items.

Phil0124 Is, in fact, entirely incorrect.

You can owe iTunes money using a debit card in the US, as I have many times. They don't always bill right away, leading to a situation where I don't have the money in my account, but have downloaded an app. Apple simply doesn't allow me to update my apps or download free apps/books/whatever until I've payed what I owe.

"

hi there, you can infact check how much you owe.

I know this because I actually owe itunes money..

to check you must use your laptop/pc go onto your itunes,

click itunes store, then where it shows your apple id click that and then 'account',

once on there scroll util you see 'purchase history' simply click this and it will navigate you to a page with all your current downloads.

the amount you owe will be in a bright red font."

This is how to check what you owe. Thank you DanHodson96

Check your facts before doubling down Phil0124.

Okay.. I understand the question as I have owed money to iTunes before. If you open a new account, or change your payment info, and buy things imediatley after, it will still go through even if there is no money on the card, because it hasn't had time to process it, after that it won't allow you to make purchases at all, even free ones, untill you pay off the debt by adding a new card, or redeeming a gift card. This has happened to me before, quite a few times. I had to contact iTunes through e-mail to find out how much I owed, but I have seen where you can go on the iTunes computer app and go to your account info and find out there.

Hey Sorry, but not several of you guys who keep saying that you can't owe ITunes money are incorrect. In FACT, you can under at least under ONE rare exception , and possibly a Few others, Owe them money, from your Credit card purchases (and for the record I live in the US).

I'm still not 100% how it could be allowed to happen like this, but here's what recently happened to me:

Paid my credit card bill, on time as I normally did (Which is the only payment method on my ITunes). Once my payment cleared, which I verified. I used the card on ITunes about 5-7 days, due to some error at the bank, the Credit Card company said over a week later that my payment had been "returned" (actually diddent process, however that can happen). Well instead of the Credit card company billing me for those purchases, they somehow either stopped, or took back payment from ITunes. Just like that I owe ITunes that money back."

Also, in response to the remark that Apple wouldant let people owe them money, and that it would be a logistical nightmare to collect........ For most of us Apple users, They don't even need a collections department. Once you owe ITunes, your IPhone, Pad, Watch, etc. and even some of your apps and saved games/content are basically held hostage. Because not only can you make NO downloads from ITunes at all (Not even Free ones), but you cannot update anything you currently have in the ITunes Store. So once you're games/apps/software start requiring updates to function, you won't be using any of those. Pretty good way to make sure you pay sooner or later.

Why would you want to check what I owe on my account?

Go to itunes on a computer,itunes store, account, purchase history.

You should also receive an email receipt for any purchases.

RE: You can't ever owe anything to iTunes. If you have Credit Card associated with your Apple ID, then all purchases are charged to it, and you would owe the Credit Card company not iTunes. Any charges would appear in your monthly statement.

If you have redeemed an iTunes Gift Card, then you can only purchase items as long as your account has enough credit. Once your balance is down to 0 you need to add more credit to your account or add a Credit card if you wish to keep purchasing items.

Well that is entirely incorrect.

I'm not sure where else in the world you can but in Australia you can have Debit Cards which are linked to your main Bank Account. These work as Credit Cards but use the balance in you Main Account. So there is no fees incurred and its very simple to use.

I have purchased apps from the store before and didnt realise that I didn't have the money in my account but it still let me buy it. Thus put my account into a negative and I had to fix the amount before my next purchase.

It's a good idea to research what you're telling the community because people really rely on a comprehensive response.

As for the OP: The feature to see how much you owe used to display upon re-entering your Security Code on your card when you had sufficient funds. Now when you have brought the balance from a negative it will send you a reciept.

Good Day

Interesting..... From what I read, debit cards are no longer accepted in the U.S. so without knowing where the OP lives, Phils's answer might very well be valid.

This article was updated in January and the OP posted in April

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5552

Of course its talking about your post, I'm answering you specifically staitng that my post was wrong.

We already asnwered the OP. I'm just trying to clarify the issue of how iTunes bills, and why its really unlikely you can owe anything to iTunes. That's the way forums work. You say something , I say somethng else, if one of us makes a mistake we can clarify.

In any case its not something I've come across in the many years i've used iTunes to buy things and since I've never seen it, and there's no mention of it in any of Apple's documentation I can find, its not something that I would conisder telling people is the norm. Maybe somewhat possible, but still very unlikely to happen.

So like you said:

DevSquare wrote:

It's a good idea to research what you're telling the community because people really rely on a comprehensive response.

hi there, you can infact check how much you owe.

I know this because I actually owe itunes money..

to check you must use your laptop/pc go onto your itunes,

click itunes store, then where it shows your apple id click that and then 'account',

once on there scroll util you see 'purchase history' simply click this and it will navigate you to a page with all your current downloads.

the amount you owe will be in a bright red font.

hope this helps.

twitter: @danhodsonn