Apple Watch Debit and Credit Card Charges Begin in the UK, Germany, and France

A few MacRumors readers have taken to the forums to confirm that Apple has begun charging many users based out of the UK, Germany, and France who got in an Apple Watch pre-order early on April 10.

applewatchemojis
The charges in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France come after customers in the United States yesterday began first experiencing charges taken from their debit or credit cards, followed by a change of order status from "Processing Items" to "Preparing for Shipment", for a select group of customers.

As reported earlier yesterday, bulk shipments of Apple's new wearable began arriving at centralized distribution centers across the United States in preparation for the April 24 launch date this Friday. Despite the forward momentum of the news over the past day or so, there still has not been any change to the initial 4/24 - 5/8 delivery date estimate for all of the Apple Watch's early pre-order customers.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
Netflix Smaller 4

Netflix Kills Casting From Its Mobile App to Most Modern TVs

Monday December 1, 2025 4:36 am PST by
Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast content from its mobile apps to most modern TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models and the Google TV Streamer. The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices...
Cyber Week Deals 2025

Best Cyber Week Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Cyber Week is here, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
Sad Siri Feature

Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays

Monday December 1, 2025 2:16 pm PST by
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is stepping down from his position and retiring in spring 2026, Apple announced today. Giannandrea will serve as an advisor between now and 2026, with former Microsoft AI researcher Amar Subramanya set to take over as vice president of AI. Subramanya will report to Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi, and will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and ...
studio display purple february

M5 iPad Pro Could Hint at New Studio Display Feature

Sunday November 30, 2025 10:30 am PST by
The updated specs of the M5 iPad Pro may point toward a major new feature for Apple's next-generation Studio Display expected in early 2026. Apple's latest iPad Pro debuted last month and contains one display-related change that stands out: it can now drive external monitors at up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync. The feature should deliver lower latency, smoother motion, and fewer visual...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...

Top Rated Comments

lellis2k Avatar
139 months ago
Note to self: next time I think "I'll wait and see what people think about this new Apple product" just stop being stupid and order it at midnight.
Estimated Dispatch: June :(
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hlfway2anywhere Avatar
139 months ago
Weird because literally nobody with a 42mm stainless steel w/black sport band has changed status yet.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lotabob Avatar
139 months ago
My bank account just got lighter. No progress on the Apple order status though. It's so funny. Adults (me included) getting so hyped about money going out of our accounts. The exact opposite of normal.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cleareyes Avatar
139 months ago
Does this mean they're supposed to have finished in the US & Canada, because I still haven't been charged in Canada and I had an 4/24-5/8 conformation at 3:04am EDT
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hankkk Avatar
139 months ago
Beta testers just like the iPad1 , I'll wait and get the slimmer, faster, better watch next year that will have support for years to come

Good for you
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MarkW19 Avatar
139 months ago
For those worrying about their order status not yet changing to 'preparing for shipping' (as I have been): I sent a message to Barclaycard to confirm what the pending charges were that weren't yet listed, and they confirmed it was £519 from the Apple Online Store (the price of my SS w/sport band watch). I've checked online, and Apple only process these pending charges when they're preparing an item for despatch, and they then fully charge the card as soon as the item has left them.

Bottom line: if you have a pending charge for your watch - regardless of your current order status - I'm sure you'll get it on Friday. There's plenty of time for the order status to update to preparing and then shipped between now and then, it could even happen as late as Thursday since all UK orders will be shipped next-day anyway.

It's put my mind at rest anyway...now here's to getting to Friday, what a long couple of weeks this has been!!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)