You probably have a credit card connected to your Apple ID to make it easier for you to make purchases for apps or on Apple Music. This is definitely a good idea, as it can make in-app purchases much smoother.
Whatever your reason may be, you can remove your credit card from the app store in just a few simple steps on your iPhone.
How to remove a credit card from App store
Whether you’re trying to control your spending or control the spending of a child or another family member, removing a credit card from the app store is very simple.
When you change your payment information through the settings on your phone, it will automatically update it for all apps and services that you use with your Apple ID.
It will also update the payment method on all of your Apple devices, so you won’t need to individually remove the credit card from each device.
Follow the below steps to remove a credit card from the app store:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Tap Payment & Shipping. You might be asked to sign in with your Apple ID
- To remove a payment method, tap Edit, then tap the Delete button.
- To change the order of your payment methods, tap Edit, then use the move order icon .
You can remove payment methods on an iPhone or iPad very easily by following the instructions above. You can also add payment options to your Apple account easily too.
How to add a credit card to the app store
If you’re looking to add a new payment method in the app store, follow the below steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Tap Payment & Shipping. You might be asked to sign in with your Apple ID
- To add a payment method, tap Add Payment Method.
- Enter the details of your new payment method
If you would just like to update a method, do the following:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Tap Payment & Shipping. You might be asked to sign in with your Apple ID
- Tap the current payment method, then edit your information. You will need to enter the security code that’s printed on your credit or debit card.
What payment methods can you use in the app store?
To make purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store or Apple Books, or to buy iCloud storage, you’ll need an Apple ID and a valid payment method.
You can typically use these methods with your Apple ID:
- Apple Pay (you’ll need to have another card linked to your apple pay)
- Most credit and debit cards
- Store credit (from redeeming gift cards or from adding funds to your Apple ID)
- Country-specific or region-specific additional methods
You should check with Apple directly to find out your country-specific or region-specific additional methods, as you may be able to use a different payment type depending on your location.
Generally in-app purchases will default to the credit card details you initially used if you haven’t changed any of the settings.
If you can’t remove your payment method
Make sure that you’re running on the latest version of iOS or iPadOS or macOS if you’re using an iPad or a Mac.
If you can’t remove your payment method, it’s likely to be because it’s the last payment method on your Apple ID.
If you have subscriptions, have an unpaid balance, or share purchases with your Family Sharing group, you can’t remove all payment information – you will need to cancel your in-app purchases before you remove your payment information.
Apple requires you to have at least one payment method in the app store in order to make payments for these.Â
So if you’re unable to remove your payment method, this is likely the case.
Check your subscriptions with the following steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Check for any Active Subscriptions, tap any you wish to delete then press Cancel Subscription.
If you have purchase sharing enabled for Family Sharing, you can turn it off by:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name.
- Tap on Family Sharing > Purchase Sharing.
- Tap Stop Purchase Sharing to turn off purchase sharing.
The last reason that you may not be able to remove the last payment method is that you have an unpaid balance.
This would be paid when you have a valid payment method set up on the app store, but if you don’t want to add one, you should contact Apple Customer Support to find out if you have an unpaid balance on your account.
Manage payment methods that family members use
If you have set up Family Sharing and turn on purchase sharing, one adult in the family controls a single shared payment method for everyone in the family group.
If you’re the family organiser, you can add multiple payment methods to your own Apple ID, but your family members can use only the first payment method on the list.
If a family member can’t make a purchase, the family organiser can move a different payment method to the top of the list.
This can make sense if you want to use different payment information for different purposes, as you’ll easily be able to switch credit card details at will.
Conclusion
Removing a credit card from the app store is pretty simple. If it’s the last payment, check that there isn’t anything outstanding that you need to pay for.
If you still can’t remove a credit card, you should contact Apple Customer Support. They’ll help you remove payment method quickly, though with this guide hopefully it’s easy enough to do yourself.