Smartycashback fraudulent charges on credit card through Apple Wallet on Dec 04, 2024.

MargretEmma wrote:

Since the charge came through Apple Wallet, it’s possible that if you have another default card linked, the next payment attempt might be routed to that card. However, if the original subscription was tied specifically to the canceled card, it might fail automatically.

Nope that is not the way it works as the charge is to a specific bank of the card used and it makes no difference if the card remains in the Wallet or not. It is not your Wallet that is being billed and it certainly is not Apple billing you either. What many don't realize is that credit card companies use Automatic Billing Updaters to transfer subscriptions to a new card when the previous card is cancelled. The transaction must be specifically blocked by your bank, not just issuing a new card number.

If you would like more information about Automatic Billing Updaters, I can provide it to you. Each PNO(Mastercard, VISA, American Express, etc) have their own name for it, but the results are the same. Your subscriptions from participating merchants will be transferred to your new card number.

A merchant has no access to any other card in your Wallet and there is no chance that another one is going to be billed. The OP did get the issue resolved and now understands how the charge occurred and was able to successfully cancel it. You can see the information by reading the posts here.

The information you provided is simply not accurate. What is correct is that if you do not see the subscription listed in your Settings, then it does mean it is one not being managed by Apple, but you are wrong that contacting Apple in that case is a "good step to prevent further charges". The first thing that must be done is to attempt to contact the merchant and if unsuccessful, you then have to dispute the charge with the payment method being billed. In no case does that involve Apple at all and Apple will not be able to block any further charges.

Read the information provided here:

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Smartycashback-why-you-should-have-read-the-T-amp-Cs-and-how-to/td-p/2495876

Your bank is not being totally up front with you. The subscription is being billed to your card directly from them without any Apple involvement. You may have not known that you were entering into this subscription. Your bank also knows that simply changing the card number may not stop a recurring charge. It makes no difference if you add this card to your Wallet or not, since Apple is not billing you.

Your bank and the payment processor (VISA, Mastercard, etc) use an Automatic Billing Updater that automatically transfers recurring charges to a new card number. This is something only your bank can block and they usually require that you make every effort to contact the company yourself to cancel the charges.

https://paymentcloudinc.com/blog/account-updater/

If your bank fails to offer help in blocking this charge, you can further file a complaint with the CFPB. This is a government agency that will investigate your claim and reports to get a response from most companies in 15 days.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Please review the link also provided by Jeff Donald to verify that it cannot be cancelled by Apple. He is an expert in this field and can provide much more information than I can.

Xyp_clip wrote:

im being charged 25 dollars by smarty i never signed up for anything like that

You just did not realize you were signing up, unless someone else has access to your credit card and making fraudulent charges. The ads to sign up are common and appear on everyday websites, like Jeff Donald showed an example of on the AT&T website when you pay your bill. It looks like you get $25 off just by clicking the button, but the fine print shows it is for Smarty.

Apple has nothing to do with these subscriptions and no app is even needed. Smarty is most likely billing you directly and to cancel, you will need to contact Smarty or try the link below. If you are not able to get help by contacting them, then as a last resort you can dispute the charge with your credit card. Make sure they also block any further charges.

https://www.joinsmarty.com/help/how-do-i-cancel-my-account/

That sounds really frustrating — you’re definitely not alone in dealing with this kind of situation.

Since the charge came through Apple Wallet, it’s possible that if you have another default card linked, the next payment attempt might be routed to that card. However, if the original subscription was tied specifically to the canceled card, it might fail automatically.

Here are a few things to try:

Check your Apple subscriptions (Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions) to see if "Smartycashback" shows up. If it’s there, cancel it immediately.

If it’s not listed, that might mean it was processed via a third-party system and not directly through your Apple ID. In that case, contacting Apple Support is a good step to prevent further charges.

Monitor any other cards linked to your Wallet in case the merchant tries to charge a different default method.

Situations like this are why many businesses are shifting toward more transparent and secure payment solutions, such as verified eCheck services. For example, platforms like eCheckplan offer a clear and reliable way to handle payments without confusing recurring charges or unexpected fees.

Hope this helps clarify things!

Eop6850 wrote:

I been charge for the same amount without accept or subscribe to any of their websites or app or links

If your situation is anything like the others, you were unaware you signed up for the subscription when making an online purchases. You will see a popup on well known sites such as eBay, Kohls, Gap, etc, and it will say you can save even more. Users that click it don't know they have signed up for a free trial to a subscription in addition to their purchase. The free trial likely goes for 30 days before you will be billed for the subscription, so it is usually pretty easy to find the purchase on the same payment method where you see the charge from the website that prompted this free trial about a month ago.

In every case I have seen, this is not a subscription that is managed by Apple, so you will not see it when viewing your Subscriptions on your device and it will not show when attempting a refund on your device. There is nothing Apple can do in this case as you are free to make any purchase on a website you want without involving Apple. You will need to go to the link below to cancel your Smarty subscription. There are also links here to delete your account and review their refund policy.

https://www.joinsmarty.com/help/how-do-i-cancel-my-account/

If you are not able to get any resolution, you will need to dispute the charge with the bank of your payment method. They will need to specifically block those transactions and likely issue you a new card.

casandra83 wrote:

I was just charged 25.00 and I don’t have this service

Have you used the links in this thread to verify you do not have the subscription directly with SmartyCashback? That is the whole point where people did not realize they were signing up for a free trial when they chose a discounted price for a product they purchased on a website up to 30 days before seeing the charge. After the free trial period, then you will see the subscription charge for the service on the same payment card used for the purchase.

As most others have found out, these are not subscriptions that are managed by Apple, so they cannot be cancelled in the usual method of going into Setting on your device. They must be cancelled with SmartyCashback using the links that have been provided here. If you are unsuccessful in those attempts, please update what happened when you tried.

mab2kor wrote:

I also got scammed, for spending a mere week in the US :D

I wrote to them, seekign refund!

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Hello, 

how come SmartyPlus got access to my Apple count & put me into Subscription and deduct 25$ also in January. this is a Mystery. 

You purchased something online and the website has a deal with SmartyCashBack to save money on your current order if you sign up for a subscription. That is how you got started with their subscription, and it was nothing more than clicking a button on the screen. They used the same card details that you used to make the online purchase. The date you received the charge is not the date the online purchase was made, because the subscription usually starts with a free trial and you could have made the purchase 30 days ago and it was just recently renewed.

Review your previous online purchases and continue to follow up with SmartyCashBack. This has nothing to do with Apple. Cancelling the SmartyPlus subscription can be done here. The email address used for the account is the same one used for the previous online purchase that was made.There is also information about deleting your account with them and their refund policy.

https://www.joinsmarty.com/help/how-do-i-cancel-my-account/l

peterpan1209 wrote:

How can we get $25 money back? It is riduculous app to steal my credit card account and chage me $25!

It is not the app where you are seeing the charge originate. If that was the case and it was an in-app purchase, then those are managed by Apple and the subscription would be easily cancelled and you would also be able to request a refund through Apple.

Your charge is most likely a subscription charge that you had inadvertently signed up for from a purchase that was made on another retailers website. For example, Ebay uses it constantly with a popup that says you can save more money and in the fine print it says you will be signed up for a subscription to SmartyCashBack and has been reported AT&T uses it as well. Many other retailers partner with SmartyCashBack also with the same promotion.

Just because they have an app does not mean Apple is responsible for the tactics used by those retailers and their partnership with SmartyCashBack. You would have received those charges even without an app. Jeff Donald provided the correct answer that you need to cancel that subscription and possibly request a refund directly with SmartyCashBack.

Does the subscription show in your Apple Account? Please visit the Apple Support links below to determine if you have a subscription through Apple.

Manage Subscriptions

Report a Problem

Do you know if the subscription is through Apple App Store? Or is the subscription direct with Smarty Cash Back?

You can look for subscriptions here,

Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support

It’s also possible the scammer subscribed directly.

If Smarty Cash Back uses an Automatic Billing Updater (ABU), the merchant will have your new number before you do.

Contact Smarty Cash Back, cancel your subscription and request a refund from them.

Update: I emailed customer support asking to have my membership cancelled and they actually straight up cancelled it. Nice.

Tiff9876 wrote:

My daughter never signed up she didn’t even have her phone at the time of the purchase.

It would have been from a retailer that supports SmartyCashBack and that probably would have been 30 days ago. When the purchase on a supported site is made, they provide an option to receive cash back for free, but the fine print says it is a 30 day free trial that will become a subscription if not cancelled. Not having the phone at the time of purchase simply means that is when the subscription renewed, not when the initial free trial was actually started. It should not be that difficult to determine which online site where it was offered, Ebay is one but there are many others.

I was paying my AT&T statement yesterday and noticed an ad at the top of the screen stating get $15 cash back now. In very small letters, I read smartycashback. It would be easy to think AT&T was giving you $15 and fall victim to their free trial subscription.

Do any or all the charges display when you review your recent purchases here,

https://reportaproblem.apple.com/

Charges display per item. Receipts or statements sent by Apple may display multiple items as a single purchase. Purchases generally are taxable and you must take that into consideration. 

If you need to request a refund, instructions are provided at the link below,

If you want to cancel a subscription from Apple - Apple Support

Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support