Apple Pay and cancelled US subscriptions

Pam Nixon

5 Apr 2022, 19:46 AEST

My credit card number was given by Apple Pay, without my authority, to pay a subscription I had just cancelled.
I did everything required to cancel the New York Times — an lengthy online chat, with records to prove it, plus deleting the NYT app.
I even cancelled my credit card so NYT couldn’t continue deducting from it.
Somehow, Apple Pay gave them my new credit card number and the subscription deductions continue.
An online complaint to Apple returned a robo-reply saying my report could be used to improve Wallet.
My bank has found in my favour for the first disputed transaction but I naturally don’t want to be filing disputed transactions every month indefinitely!
From reading online, others have had the same frustrations with being unable to cancel a US subscription, and to a lesser extent, with Apple Wallet giving up details of a new credit card.
Before I start the hellish “Your call is important to us” process with NYT and Apple, has anyone had a similar experience and/or advice about how to deal effectively with these?

3 Likes

Welcome to the Community @Johnnie,

Trans border charges can be challenging. Depending whether the card is from an Australian or US issuer:

From the Australian side

and the US side

For a once off payment from ApplePay

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253071750

The source of the problem seems to be with the NYT and ApplePay deems they are doing a service by updating information when the NYT payment is due. Who is right and wrong and liable and your rights does not resolve it.

Have you gone through these contact points?

https://getsupport.apple.com/topics

If you pick bank card (and maybe others) enter ‘need agent’ and you will get queued for a phone call/chat. It might help.

3 Likes

Apple Pay is a go-between not unlike Paypal. They pay a business with money deducted from your registered account. They will not be sending your account details to the NYT, and cancelling one account to set up a new one just registers a new account to be used for your Apple Pay facility.
You need to find out from Apple how to discontinue a regular payment, or how to stop requests coming in from NYT being paid by the application.
If that is not easy to do, then end your relationship with Apple Pay.
Sorry if that is not what you may want to hear.

3 Likes

Have you tried using Apple’s instructions for cancelling a subscription?

It is not clear to me whether this applies to all subscriptions, but if you are subscribed through an app then Apple’s community has an answer.

Hopefully one of these links has the answer you are seeking.

2 Likes

Thanks Phil T.
I used your Apple support link. Their agent told me that Apple Pay wasn’t a conduit for these payments.
I then spoke to NAB about the unauthorised payments on my credit card. Apparently there’s a thing called a Mobile Token which attaches my credit card to a regular payee. When my original credit card was cancelled, the Mobile Token wasn’t deregistered (deactivated) which meant my new card was then connected to the ensuing NYT payment requests. It has been deactivated now.
And, because I had a dispute about a payment, NAB cancelled my new credit card (their usual practice apparently) and I’m now waiting my 3rd card for this year.
The NAB agent also clarified that, just because I got the app from Apple’s App Store, that didn’t mean Apple Pay becomes involved in transactions. If the app had taken me to its website to sign up, all my credit card transactions were then done direct with the vendor.
So, I solved the issue in a matter of hours, thanks to you and the other Community folk. I’m so grateful.
Warmest regards to you all

4 Likes

Thanks for that. Iti wonderful to hear about good outcomes.

2 Likes