Apple recently sent out an alert via iOS to the primary account holders of Apple Family Purchase Sharing. I have an Apple One plan that I share with my family and received a concerning alert that says, "Family Purchase Sharing Update" with a red notification symbol.
Mind you, I've never opted to share my credit card with the rest of the family in the Apple One family sharing. When you click the notification, it does not allow you to opt out until you apparently opt in to this function that enables others in the family to use your payment card.
This alert details a change to the default settings, which, if not addressed by the primary account holder, allows any user of that Apple Family Purchase Sharing Plan to charge the credit cards that the primary account holder has saved for use with their Apple services. This includes buying apps, games, music, products, accessories and more.
So, if your kids are on your Apple Family Purchase Sharing plan, unless parental restrictions have been previously set up, this means that they can simply use your credit cards associated with the sharing plan without your permission to make purchases.
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Apple Family Sharing comes with Purchase Sharing, which allows up to six family members to share purchases made on the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books using a single payment method. These purchases must all fall under the payment method kept on file, and there is no way for each person on the account to have their own way of paying when they want to purchase something. The family organizer sets up the payment method and invites family members to join the group, which enables them to access the organizer's payment method for making purchases.
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If you are the family organizer and you choose to keep the new default setting, you should be aware of the potential risk and monitor your transactions regularly. If you are the family organizer and want to change the new default setting, you can follow these tips to disassociate your credit card from the account so that no one else on your Family Purchase Sharing Plan may have unchecked access to it.
Here's how to disassociate your credit card from the account on your Apple device.
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There is also a way for you to pay for things without having to use the Family Payment Method.
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If you use an Apple Family Sharing account and you are not the organizer, you can still add funds to your own Apple ID. These funds will be used up first before payments for your purchases resume being charged to the organizer's primary payment method.
Here's how to set it up.
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If there is a specific payment you want to use and it's not the one you currently have in place (i.e. you get a new credit card or simply want to switch cards), you can change the credit card you have on file for your Family Sharing account by following these steps.
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Whether you received the alert via iOS or not, now you are aware of this new default setting to your Apple Family Purchase Sharing Plan. If you want to change the default setting or switch to a different payment method, follow the steps outlined in this article.
By taking these precautions, you can help protect yourself from unauthorized purchases and ensure that your family's purchases are charged to the right account. Also, to ensure your Apple Family Purchase Sharing Plan is secure, it's important to monitor your transactions regularly.
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