I downloaded bowtie mac application which is listed as free but it charged me the same price had i downloaded bowtie the song. what the heck man. I know it was the application that i downloaded because i was playing with it but my bank statement says i was charged a dollar. something isnt right. I shouldnt be charged for a free application. I havent bought a paid app or song in months. I dont even know how to fix this.
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apple charged me 1.00 for a free application
- Thread starter Acorn
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no i dont even know where to begin. i was tempted to call my bank but the bank wont do anything yet since its still considered "pending". for whatever reason to dispute it or remote it the transaction has to be complete. its not that big a deal, its only a dollar. my issue is if apple does this to everyone that downloads that app. something tells me something is screwy with both a app and a song having the same name. i cant think of any other reason they would randomly charge me a dollar.
I don't know why people don't just call Apple about things. So often I see threads about a multitude of things that would be solved or at least led in the right direction by contacting Apple. They're rated among the best in customer service for a reason, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you out. 
Are you sure you didn't also purchase the required $1 companion (iphone) app for bowtie? I don't have the application, but it says in the description that it requires a companion app that costs $1 for the iPhone.
Pending transactions don't always go through and post to your account. This is why you can't dispute them while they're pending. There is still a chance that this $1 charge will "disappear". Merchant's have been known to do this to verify if a card is still valid or not.
Ding, ding, ding! Here's your answer. If for some reason the dollar never comes off, call Apple.
it was my understanding that the companion app was only needed if you were using bowtie with the iphone not strictly the desktop. i went into recently purchased apps and checked for it there and there was none. the computer i downloaded the mac bowtie application for has no app store apps on it (iphone or ipad) . so i dont think it downloaded a companion app.
I will have to call apple i guess.. i will wait first until the pending has passed.
I will have to call apple i guess.. i will wait first until the pending has passed.
I don't know why people don't just call Apple about things. So often I see threads about a multitude of things that would be solved or at least led in the right direction by contacting Apple. They're rated among the best in customer service for a reason, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you out.
This. Apple is the only person that can help you. Calling 1-800-MYAPPLE will put you in contact with them.
Apple support is amazing. I had a 2 month old Apple Cinema Display die on me and not only did they rush ship me a new one even though I was outside the return period (I worked overseas at the time so that wasn't cheap), but they credited me $180 for the inconvenience and shipped me a new one (the one I had was a refurb I bought.) Mind you I didn't even ask for any of this, I was simply polite on the phone.
It could be this too. Gas stations do this often. Its to test and make sure the account is real.
I think this might be the cause. thanks for clearing that up for me. i did have to enter new card info even though i wasnt buying anything. if they do test the account is valid with a dollar then that might be the case. If i had known apple did that i wouldnt have even bothered to post. bottom line is i should have waited until the transaction was complete anyway.
This whole thread is ridiculous. The iPhone App Store, Mac App Store and iTunes routinely place a hold on your account of $1 when you purchase anything, whether it is a free app or one that actually costs something.
If the app was free they do this just to make sure that the credit account information on file is still active. If your card had expired or was no longer valid then your account with Apple is no longer valid. They may not do this if you buy frequently, but if you haven't bought anything for awhile and then all of a sudden "buy" a free app then they have to check your account for validity.
Your bank in turn will shows the $1 charge as pending. In most cases this $1 charge will disappear within 24 hours, and be replaced with the charge for the actual app or in the case of free apps nothing at all. In many cases the actual charge may not appear for a few days, but the pending $1 hold still disappears.
So before anyone gets their undies in a bunch over a "pending" charge of $1, think about it for a few minutes, wait a day or two and see if it disappears. If your bank clears the charge and pays Apple the $1 charge then you would have something to gripe about.
Also, learn a little about how credit and debit cards work. Merchants will often submit a charge to a bank and that charge will be pending until the actual charge is received by the card issuing bank. This is done for the banks protection and your protection. Hold charges are most common with online merchants, restaurants, hotels and gas stations where the actual charge amount is unknown until the actual charge is submitted. Dis you ever go to a restaurant and pay with a credit card and the waiter brings it back, the you add in the tip? Well the amount before the tip was already submitted to the bank and is "pending" until the actual amount with the tip is submitted. When you buy something on Apples App store or iTunes the $1 charge is submitted and is pending until Apple sends in the actual charge, which may be an accumulation of things purchased throughout the day.
The world isn't gonna end because Apple put a "pending" $1 charge on your bank account. Pay more attention to your account and you'll see this happens a lot more often with other merchants as well.
If the app was free they do this just to make sure that the credit account information on file is still active. If your card had expired or was no longer valid then your account with Apple is no longer valid. They may not do this if you buy frequently, but if you haven't bought anything for awhile and then all of a sudden "buy" a free app then they have to check your account for validity.
Your bank in turn will shows the $1 charge as pending. In most cases this $1 charge will disappear within 24 hours, and be replaced with the charge for the actual app or in the case of free apps nothing at all. In many cases the actual charge may not appear for a few days, but the pending $1 hold still disappears.
So before anyone gets their undies in a bunch over a "pending" charge of $1, think about it for a few minutes, wait a day or two and see if it disappears. If your bank clears the charge and pays Apple the $1 charge then you would have something to gripe about.
Also, learn a little about how credit and debit cards work. Merchants will often submit a charge to a bank and that charge will be pending until the actual charge is received by the card issuing bank. This is done for the banks protection and your protection. Hold charges are most common with online merchants, restaurants, hotels and gas stations where the actual charge amount is unknown until the actual charge is submitted. Dis you ever go to a restaurant and pay with a credit card and the waiter brings it back, the you add in the tip? Well the amount before the tip was already submitted to the bank and is "pending" until the actual amount with the tip is submitted. When you buy something on Apples App store or iTunes the $1 charge is submitted and is pending until Apple sends in the actual charge, which may be an accumulation of things purchased throughout the day.
The world isn't gonna end because Apple put a "pending" $1 charge on your bank account. Pay more attention to your account and you'll see this happens a lot more often with other merchants as well.
The thread is NOT ridicules. If an item is FREE, then it doesn't matter whether a credit card is valid since there should be NO CHARGE against it. In fact, why even mandate that there is a credit card account for a FREE app?
I tried to download a "FREE" app from the app store; was required to provide a credit card number along with my appid. I didn't have an account at the app store as never bought anything there & my appid was gotten from another part of Apple.
Why should I provide a credit card number? In a newsgroup, it was erroneous claimed that there was a "NONE" box to click; the "NONE" only appears if one got the appid at the app store or some other means. The behaviour of the missing "NONE" box was verified by several people.
Needless to say, I did not get the "FREE" app since I do not believe that I should give Apple my credit card number since I was not buying anything.
I tried to download a "FREE" app from the app store; was required to provide a credit card number along with my appid. I didn't have an account at the app store as never bought anything there & my appid was gotten from another part of Apple.
Why should I provide a credit card number? In a newsgroup, it was erroneous claimed that there was a "NONE" box to click; the "NONE" only appears if one got the appid at the app store or some other means. The behaviour of the missing "NONE" box was verified by several people.
Needless to say, I did not get the "FREE" app since I do not believe that I should give Apple my credit card number since I was not buying anything.
Creating an iTunes App Store account without a credit card
If you actually follow Apple's instructions (above, pay attention to step 4), the NONE button is very much not missing.
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You are still doing it differently.
1) I DON'T want an iTunes account just to get a "FREE" app.
2) You need to just use the appstore app on the Lion dock to get to the store; just like 1st time users' or a more convienent way.
3) On point 2, there is NO "none" selection visible or selectable.
The scammers & id thieves can easily point to the Apple Computer "store" where there is a requirement for providing a credit card number so that a need to give out one's SSN & credit number for verification for "winning" $10,000.
The news media, police & security people warn about giving out & protecting one's credit card; having to give the CC should not ever be required for a "FREE" product. Having to open an account to get a "FREE" app & provide all sorts of info means that the product is not "FREE" since the cost is one's privacy & credit card access by Apple.
Did you even read the instructions that I linked to? There's nothing to "do differently". Those instructions were written by Apple, and clearly state (i.e. they even give you screen shots) how to create an iTunes Store account without having to enter a [credit, debit] card or link to a PayPal account.
Step 1. Open iTunes (not the Mac App Store)
Step 2. Click on iTunes Store
Step 3. Navigate to the App Store (within the iTunes Store)
Step 4. Download a Free App
Step 5. Create a New Account
If you follow those five steps, you will see the None button as a payment option. You will not have to enter a [credit, debit] card or link to a PayPal account. And you've never had to enter your SSN for an iTunes Store account.
1) More logical to use Mac App Store; don't need to get iTunes downloads.
2) Why the h*ll is it different?
Just tried it again using App Store app. Says I haven't used the appid in the iTunes store; needed to provide info.
Still insists credit card requirement.
YOU are denying that you are doing things differently when you start illogically with iTunes instead of App Store. Oh yes, the app is Netnewswire Lite & the Netnewswire homepage directs one to go to the App Store to get the "free" version; nothing about going to iTunes to get their app.
The instructions entering the App Store are written by Apple, so why should it be different from the "backdoor" of using iTunes for entry? Normal people will think that iTunes is for music downloads/purchase; App Store is for getting apps.
Anyway, I've gotten the Fink package installed & have compiled "slrn" for my text newsgroup reader as it doesn't have lots of unneeded stuff for my purpose as a text only reader.
Just for kicks, I tried the iTunes route. The iTunes store cannot find Netnewswire lite; not even with the "power search" which looks like it was for music as there was also an entry for "artist".
Tried browsing utilities, still can't find the app but possibly missed it as iTunes shows only "what's hot"; set the sort order to name instead of feature & sill missing the app.
Tried browsing/searching "news"; still no go.
So, the iTunes route doesn't work well even if it was written by Apple. There was no problem using the App Store app as the search quickly found the netnewswire lite app.
As I already stated, the App Store is more intuitive & natural for getting apps; iTunes may be ok for the iPhone apps but don't really believe that.
Tried browsing utilities, still can't find the app but possibly missed it as iTunes shows only "what's hot"; set the sort order to name instead of feature & sill missing the app.
Tried browsing/searching "news"; still no go.
So, the iTunes route doesn't work well even if it was written by Apple. There was no problem using the App Store app as the search quickly found the netnewswire lite app.
As I already stated, the App Store is more intuitive & natural for getting apps; iTunes may be ok for the iPhone apps but don't really believe that.
Playing around, the instructions work the same in the Mac App Store (as they do the App Store section of the iTunes Store).
In the Mac App Store, find NetNewsWire Lite and click the FREE/INSTALL APP buttons.
On the sign in screen, select the option to create a new Apple ID.
On the Payment Method screen, you will see an option for "None".
You will only see the option for "None" if you first select a free app to download, THEN create your account.
I'm ambivalent on the way Apple implemented this. To me, it's only intuitive if you stumble across it, but if you're stuck on how to do it, simply googling "app store no credit card" quickly provides the answer.
In the Mac App Store, find NetNewsWire Lite and click the FREE/INSTALL APP buttons.
On the sign in screen, select the option to create a new Apple ID.
On the Payment Method screen, you will see an option for "None".
You will only see the option for "None" if you first select a free app to download, THEN create your account.
I'm ambivalent on the way Apple implemented this. To me, it's only intuitive if you stumble across it, but if you're stuck on how to do it, simply googling "app store no credit card" quickly provides the answer.
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The difference is that you did "On the sign in screen, select the option to create a new Apple ID."
I already have an Apple ID so I DID NOT select to create a new Apple ID; no reason for me to do so. The Apple ID that I got was from the Developer's section where I signed up to get the Xcode 4.x for a "free" download.
In the newsgroup, someone found that the "NONE" only appears if one created an Apple ID from within the App Store; just as you did.
Now, why did Apple make it different? Surely, the Apple ID should apply across Apple sections? Now I wonder if I did create a new Apple ID just for the App Store, would that apply to the "iTunes" store......Then if I ever order hardware from Apple, must I still create another Apple ID????? How will it ever end...
Right, creating a new account is step #5 in the illustrated Apple support article that explains (step-by-step) how to create an account without having to use a credit card.
Respectfully, the difference is that you haven't been following the steps in that support article.My guess is that it has something to do with the amount of free content in the App Stores (tons) vs. the amount of free content in the Music and Book stores (extremely limited in comparison, and selections are usually temporary, used for promotional purposes). Again, just a guess.
Regardless, there exists a method to obtain "FREE APPS" without having to provide a debit/credit card, or link to a PayPal account.
Right, creating a new account is step #5 in the illustrated Apple support article that explains (step-by-step) how to create an account without having to use a credit card.
My guess is that it has something to do with the amount of free content in the App Stores (tons) vs. the amount of free content in the Music and Book stores (extremely limited in comparison, and selections are usually temporary, used for promotional purposes). Again, just a guess.
Regardless, there exists a method to obtain "FREE APPS" without having to provide a debit/credit card, or link to a PayPal account.
The "method" is to unnecessarily get another App ID & to keep track another password for the same system. Then, when desiring to get another "free" app later, create another App ID; so getting a free app from the AppStore means creating an Apple ID each time so one can select the "NONE" option! When I got my app id, it was to be my email id; so creating a new app id means getting another hotmail/gmail account just for a "free" app? Perhaps Apple will allow duplicate app-ids.
I think the only app that may get me to go to the AppStore again is an app that will allow the user to change the system fonts to a customizable readable size like what is allowable in the windows system.
AP - I am sympathetic to what you are saying. Its too bad that you cant just remove your existing form of payment and change it to *none* I just logged into my apple preferences to check but that option is not available.
Most people have more than one email address though so it really is pretty easy to just set up another ID, set it to *none* and just use it for all free apps.
Most people have more than one email address though so it really is pretty easy to just set up another ID, set it to *none* and just use it for all free apps.
I could tell from the tone of your postings that you are mainly a PC user. In PC land you constantly have to look up information and follow complex sets of instructions to accomplish certain things. I'm really surprised that you have such trouble following such simple instructions and want to complain that things don't work the way you would like them to. How have you ever coped with Windows where there is little interest in making things work the way you think they should?
Your use of "each time" (above) reads ambiguously, IMO.
A person not wishing to associate a credit card with their AppleID will only have to manage a total of TWO AppleIDs -- their original AppleID, and a second AppleID where the payment type is set to NONE.
The second AppleID can be used to download as many different free apps as the person wishes. There is no "creating an AppleID each time", if by "each time", you mean each time that person wants to download a different free app.
It would be nice if Apple would allow existing AppleIDs to select a payment type of none. IMO, with that not being an option, the Apple-provided workaround of creating a second AppleID seems to be more of an inconvenience than a hardship.