family sharing with multiple credit cards

Incorrect. Apple Music family subscription is absolutely shareable. But if setup, then you're required to use one credit card for everyone's purchases unless they have gift card balances or store credit.

You are most welcome! I agree, I think it would be a great idea for Apple to come up with something similar for Adult Family Share that would allow you to share your data, but each pay individually via their own payment method (not just a gift card).

Just an FYI - if everyone is game in the group, it is extremely easy to purchase a gift card for yourself and put it on your own iTunes account (I do it all the time for testing):

In iTunes on their computer, click Store, then on the right under Quick Links, click on Send Gift

Gift card option comes up - fill out your own email address, pick the amount, and send it to yourself

It can take a little while to get the email - sometimes a few hours 🙄

Or....in a few seconds - I just got mine

Click on the Redeem Now button in the email

It goes to an annoying Connect to iTunes screen

Click on Connect Link option

iTunes will display, followed by an option to spend your gift either:

In the iTunes Store

Or for 6 Months of Apple Music

I guess you know which one to select 🙂

My point is that it is quick and easy to keep the balance loaded up!

Cheers,

GB

GB

I agree 100%. I am so annoyed by this. I have family share and we are all adults, not children. My mom put her card as the main card but she doesn't want me buying tons of stuff on her card, but we all still wanna share all the purchases. very frustrating especially since there are lots of apps that require you to subscribe monthly or annually, so it's not even a one time purchase.

I’m having the exact same problem. I want to be able to make my own purchases but I don’t want to have to repurchases all of the apps (not to mention movies and shows) that I’ve bought through family sharing. And I still want my family to be able to use the things I buy. Very annoying.

I am also struggling with this dilemma . My sisters and I are all adults, yet only one credit card is billed. We can deal with only one person receiving the receipts, but having one credit card on file is a significant enough reason to keep my two sisters from purchasing anything. No one wants to purchase gift cards in order to purchase a movie.

Yes, that would be normal. Your gift card balance will not be charged unless it is your Apple ID making a purchase. I mean, you wouldn't want Apple to add insult to injury by decreasing the value of a gift would you? Any purchase made by a Family Sharing member will be charged to your Credit Card unless they have an iTunes Gift Card balance.

Cheers,

GB

Well I think that's highway robbery to charge new purchase on my credit card, which I need to pay out of my pocket, instead of my gift card, which I already paid for...

Be that as it may, these are terms you agreed to when enabling Family Sharing.

How iTunes Store purchases are billed - Apple Support

Family Sharing - Apple Support

Perhaps it would help if you read the information supplied by Apple regarding Family Sharing:

Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Before you sign up for services, it is always a good idea to read whatever is available about that service so that you understand the way it works. This is how Family Sharing works. You can let Apple know what you think here: Apple - Feedback

GB

Me and my husband just started using family share to share the music that we purchased, I wasn't aware of the one-credit-card-only issue until I got the receipt of his monthly subscription charged on my credit card. What kind of crap is this? We are all adults and we purchase things with our own credit cards, why can't Apple allow multiple billing methods under one family?

I am the organizer of our family plan, besides my linked credit card I also have a gift card with $30+ balance on it, however they charged my husband's purchase on my credit card rather than the gift card, is that normal?

MimiGardner

It would b nice to control adult purchases too. My account has gone negative from other family purchase.... very upse

The best way to control other adult family members from overdrawing your account is to insist that they keep an iTunes Gift Card balance on their iTunes account at all times. If they fail to do that, and continue to take advantage of charges going directly to you, then you can remove them from the family.

Best of luck,

GB

and then you lose access to all the stuff they purchased on their account EVEN IF YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PAID FOR IT.

Apple really needs to come up with a new solution and let people pay for their own sh*t and still be able to share it.

Dejaliyah wrote:

and then you lose access to all the stuff they purchased on their account EVEN IF YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PAID FOR IT.

Apple really needs to come up with a new solution and let people pay for their own sh*t and still be able to share it.

The purchases made by the Family member's are owned by that Family Member's Apple account, correct.

And, I have already explained a very simple way for you to work with those grownups, and set it up so they pay for their own purchases. For that particular group, the point is to share as much music between you as possible.

You need to try using Family Sharing for the purpose it was intended - for families (particularly families with younger kids) to be able to share purchases with eachother, have control over what the children purchased, have the ability to create a Family Calendar and Family Photo Album, and keep track of eachother via the Find My Friends app.

If your one criteria was to be able to share your music with a bunch of friends, but have them in no other way related to you, then, sorry, but you picked the wrong service for what you want to do.

Why not all subscribe to Apple Music? Then you can all have your own accounts, and share as much stuff between you as you want (and no, I don't mean Apple Music under Family Sharing).

Cheers,

GB

What you said makes sense.

I see that it seems to work best with Parents and small kids vs grownup families. I use it with my family but we are all grownups so I guess the Family Share name was a bit misleading for me anyway since it doesn't work well with grownups. I use it with my mom but I don't want her paying for my purchases and vice versa. Perhaps the name Family share is what is misleading to everyone. it should just be called KIDS SHARE LOL. I also use my Apple ID to purchase business related apps for my computer which can cost $30 and way up, so it's a bummer she had to pay for it and I had to pay her back or go ** ya gift card. So yes, it doesn't work well between grown-ups honestly and they should just change the name because people are trying to share it with their FAMILIES which include grownups. So to me, the whole confusion is all in the name.

FYI i personally don't like or use apple music because I like to own my music and when I had it, it wasn't letting me purchase music and it wasn't syncing right between my devices so I just stick to buying my music now. I use family sharing mostly for apps / games between family.

Thanks GB!

I think the payment method is quite clever. Clearly the objective is to keep copyright digital media sharing limited to within a group that might traditionally have access to a common collection of CDs or movies as a family might have. Requiring a single person to take ultimate responsibility keeps it within an intimate social grouping, otherwise they might as well rename it 'Any-group-of-5-people-I-know Sharing'. You have to keep in mind who is likely really concerned about digital media sharing and what kind of controls they may have over distribution policies with un-named parties 😉 .