I have an unpaid transaction on my Apple Account listed under "Movies & Shows" and associated with YouTube. I checked the purchase and transaction histories for both YouTube and Google, including rentals, subscriptions, movies, and shows, but there is no matching charge. I also do not recognize or authorize the transaction.
The charge is still pending, so Apple says it cannot show me the item details. I have contacted Apple twice, but they will only tell me that I must pay the charge before they can investigate it, and that I cannot use the App Store or Apple subscriptions until the balance is settled. YouTube and Google also confirmed that they have no record of a purchase.
Nobody else uses my account, and I have strong account security in place. I have checked the relevant Apple, Google, and YouTube histories, contacted my bank, and spoken with Fair Trading, but they all advised me to keep trying to resolve the issue with the merchant first. I am reluctant to pay for something that appears unexplained, especially given Apple's past legal issues involving disputed charges. Has anyone dealt with a similar pending Apple transaction, and is there a way to identify or challenge it without paying first?
3 Answers
Since the transaction is still pending, Google and YouTube may not show anything yet because the payment has not actually completed. Check the Apple Account directly under Media & Purchases → Purchase History, and also search the email address linked to the Apple Account for a receipt or billing notice. That should eventually identify the item if the charge posts.
I would wait until the transaction changes from pending to completed before assuming the description is final. Apple normally provides the specific app, subscription, rental, or purchase once the charge has gone through. Keep screenshots and support case numbers, and ask Apple to escalate the billing issue rather than authorizing a payment you do not recognize.
If the amount is small and it turns out not to be a recurring subscription, paying it may restore access and make it easier to request a formal review afterward. That said, you should not treat an unexplained charge as automatically legitimate—continue documenting that Apple, Google, YouTube, and your bank could not identify it before deciding.
I understand the practical argument, but paying an unfamiliar charge could be interpreted as accepting it. I would first ask Apple for a written explanation and an escalation reference, then dispute it through the bank if the charge posts and still cannot be identified.