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 (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Foldable Thumb

First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed

Monday February 2, 2026 7:19 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker. The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone: The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...

Top Rated Comments

lellis2k Avatar
141 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
141 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
141 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
141 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
141 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
141 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)