How to Add a Card to the App Store

To add a card to the App Store on an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, choose Payment & Shipping, and tap Add Payment Method. On a Mac, open the App Store, select your name, open Account Settings, and choose Manage Payments beside Payment Information.

The card is added to your Apple Account, which is the account used to sign in to Apple services. Adding a card here is different from adding a card to Apple Pay in the Wallet app.

What You Need Before Adding a Card

Before you add a credit card or debit card to the App Store, have the following information ready:

• Your Apple Account sign-in details. You may also need to confirm your identity with the device passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, or another sign-in check.
• Access to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed in to the Apple Account you want to update.
• The cardholder name, card number, expiration date, and security code shown on the card.
• The billing address held by the card issuer, including the correct ZIP code. Enter the address exactly as it appears in the issuer's records.
• Access to any verification method required by the card issuer, such as its app or a text message.

Account permissions also matter. If the Apple Account is part of Family Sharing, the family organizer may control the shared payment method. A child account or an account managed by an organization may not be allowed to add or reorder cards. Ask the organizer or administrator if the relevant controls are unavailable.

Add a Card on iPhone or iPad

The official path for how to add a card to the App Store on iPhone and how to add a card to the App Store on iPad is in Settings, not inside the App Store app.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap your name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Payment & Shipping.
4. Sign in to your Apple Account or complete the requested device authentication if prompted.
5. Tap Add Payment Method.
6. Enter the card details and billing information. Check every field before continuing.
7. Complete any verification requested by the card issuer.
8. Tap Done.

These steps let you add a payment card to the App Store account used on the device. If you were searching for how to “add a card to App Store app,” use Settings instead; the payment method belongs to the Apple Account rather than to one individual app.

Add a Card on a Mac

To add a credit card or debit card to the App Store from a Mac, use the account controls inside the App Store.

1. Open the App Store on the Mac.
2. Click your name. If your name is not shown, click Sign In, enter the Apple Account details, and then click your name.
3. Click Account Settings.
4. Complete another sign-in check if requested.
5. Find Payment Information and click Manage Payments.
6. Click Add Payment.
7. Enter the card and billing details.
8. Complete any issuer verification and click Done.

If a card is already listed but its expiration date or billing address has changed, select Edit beside that payment method rather than adding a duplicate entry.

Make the New Card Your Default

Apple attempts to charge the payment methods in the order shown in the Apple Account. The first eligible method in the list is therefore the preferred card, although account rules can affect the order in which available methods are used.

On an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings, tap your name, and select Payment & Shipping.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Touch and hold the new card, then drag it to the top of the payment-method list.
4. Tap Done.

On a Mac, open the App Store and return to Account Settings, Payment Information, and Manage Payments. Use the arrows beside the payment methods to move the preferred card to the top.

If you cannot move a method, the order may be controlled by Family Sharing or another account condition. Do not remove an existing method merely to change the order unless the account permits removal and you understand why that method is required.

If the Card Cannot Be Added

If the App Store rejects a card, read the complete onscreen message and check the relevant error category:

• Incorrect details: Re-enter the cardholder name, number, expiration date, security code, billing street address, and ZIP code. The billing information must match the issuer's records.
• Issuer decline or failed verification: The bank or card issuer may decline the card or require an approval step. Complete any prompt from the issuer. Contact the issuer if it says the card was declined or verification cannot be completed.
• Country or region mismatch: The payment method must be accepted for the country or region assigned to the Apple Account. Check the account region and the card's billing country.
• Account restriction: Family Sharing controls, a child account, organizational management, or another restriction may prevent changes. Contact the organizer or administrator when appropriate.
• Pending balance: An unpaid Apple Account balance can prevent certain payment changes. Follow the message shown in Payment & Shipping and provide an accepted payment method.

Restarting the device can refresh a screen, but it will not correct mismatched billing data, an issuer decline, or an account restriction. Do not repeatedly submit different information if the issuer has declined the card.

Get Help With Payment Settings

For help with how to add a payment card to the App Store, open {site} and look for Apple Account billing and payment-method support. Use official Apple support rather than an unofficial sign-in page or a contact number shown in a search result.

Before requesting help, have the Apple Account email address or phone number, the device model, software version, account country or region, and exact error message ready. Also note which step failed and whether the card issuer reported a decline. Do not send a full card number, security code, password, or device passcode in a support message.