Apple charges Hungarian users again without warning as payment issue resurfaces
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According to a statement from the Hungarian National Bank (MNB), new reports have surfaced about recurring payment issues related to Apple. Some users have experienced multiple deductions from their bank accounts, with one case involving 13 separate charges.
Back in June, a major scandal broke out involving Apple mistakenly withdrawing funds from Hungarian users’ bank accounts, likely due to an error in the Hungarian App Store. One Index reader reported that HUF 550,000 (EUR 1,370) was deducted in 74 transactions over just five minutes, after which their bank blocked their card. These issues generally involved charges related to old Apple subscriptions or purchases made through Apple Pay, which were mistakenly processed again.
Apple mistakenly withdraws funds again
Apple was informed about the problem but delayed sending the list of affected transactions to the card companies. Until then, it was unclear whether Apple or the banks would be responsible for cancelling the erroneous charges and refunding the users. The card companies eventually forwarded the data to the banks, which began the process of returning the funds.
The Hungarian National Bank monitored the situation closely, urging local financial institutions to compensate affected users as quickly as possible. By the first week of July, the majority of victims had their funds returned, with the total sum reaching an estimated HUF 2 billion (roughly EUR 5 million). This incident also drew more attention to cybersecurity threats and how they are handled. However, it seems another Apple-related issue is emerging, as the company has once again started charging users without notice.
A reader of Index reported noticing numerous unauthorised transactions overnight: “I was charged 13 times, starting at 1:37 AM, with deductions happening every 1-2 minutes. I contacted Apple’s Hungarian support this [Tuesday] morning, but they were only made aware of the problem today. They couldn’t provide any information and just told me to check back in a day or two,” the reader said.