Unexpected charges sometimes appear even when you believe you did not make a purchase yourself. This often happens when a subscription or payment is linked to a family or shared account.
In shared account setups, billing authority and payment methods can be used by more than one profile, which may lead to charges you did not directly approve.
Common Reasons Charges Occur on Family or Shared Accounts
- A family member activated a subscription using the shared payment method
- Purchase approval settings were disabled or not required
- A child or secondary profile accessed paid features
- An old family member profile remained linked to billing
- Shared services automatically renewed without notice
Why This Can Happen Again
Even if one subscription is canceled, shared payment methods can still be used by other linked profiles. As long as the account remains shared, new charges may occur without clear alerts.
How to Check and Control Shared Billing
- Review all profiles connected to the family or shared account
- Check which payment methods are shared across users
- Enable purchase approval or restrictions for other members
- Remove unused or inactive profiles from the account
What to Do Next
- Confirm that only one account controls billing permissions
- Cancel any subscriptions you do not recognize
- Monitor billing activity for future shared account charges
Shared accounts offer convenience, but they also increase the risk of unexpected charges. Reviewing access and billing settings is essential to prevent repeat payments.