Buy app on iPad or iPhone

If you want to buy a new app on an Apple device, you must first ensure that there is balance in the App Store (the app store). You have to put money in the wallet first, as it were, before you can pay anything. You can top up the balance in various ways, such as with a credit card, with credit from gift cards, with Apple’s own payment service Apple Pay or with iDEAL. This tip is only about paying via iDEAL.

Put credit in the App Store as follows.

• Open the App Store .
• Tap the “Account” icon at the top. This looks like a doll, your initials, or your own chosen photo in a circle.
• Tap on Increase Apple ID balance.
• Choose 25, 50 or 100 euros or tap Different to enter a lower amount.
  • Tap on €0.00 and enter the desired amount. Tap on Next one.
• Tap on Buy and enter the password or (if set) use your fingerprint or facial recognition.
• If no payment method has been linked yet, a notification will appear. Tap on Continue.
• Tap on iDEAL. A check mark appears behind it.
• Tap behind ‘Banks’ Select bank.
• Tap on the bank you are a customer of.
• If necessary, check the information that has been entered automatically, such as name, address and telephone number. Tap on Ready.
• A window will appear containing the banking environment. How the checkout works is different for each bank. Go through the steps as you are used to with internet banking.
• When paid, tap Ready.

It may take a while for the new credit to show up in the App Store. Once the balance shows, you can purchase apps.

If there is credit on the Apple account, you can purchase apps.

• Open the App Store .
• Tap the tab Search and then in the search bar at the top. If ‘Search’ is not there, tap directly in the search bar at the top.
• Enter a search term.
• On the keyboard, tap Search.
• The search results appear on the screen. Tap an app to read the description.
• Found something beautiful? Tap the price in the description of the app to buy it.
  
• Tap on Buy.
• Use your fingerprint, facial recognition, or type the Apple ID password.
• Tap on Login or OK.

The app has now been purchased and is being downloaded. Tap on Open to use the app.

Sometimes an app is free, but after a while some functions turn out to cost something. Users can then purchase the function(s) from within the app. This is called an ‘in-app purchase’. These purchases are also deducted from the credit in the App Store. Incidentally, the App Store shows it (in very small print) when there are in-app purchases.

If you’re willing to pay for such an extra feature, tap a button in the app that says “Upgrade” or “Buy Premium” or something similar. Read carefully in advance what you are buying, because it matters a lot whether it is a one-off amount or a monthly or annual payment. That information is displayed before you pay.