How to Fix ‘Your Purchase Could Not Be Completed’ Error on iPhone

Want to know how to address the ‘Your purchase could not be completed’ error on your iPhone?

The App Store is the official marketplace for downloading and purchasing applications on your iPhone. It comes pre-installed on most Apple devices and can also be accessed on Macs. In fact, M1-based Macs can even run applications for iPhones and iPads. 

Apple’s App Store offers a wide variety of free and premium applications, games, productivity tools, and utilities. If you want to get the most out of your iPhone, you’d want to invest in premium applications like Halide Mark II for photography. 

However, you might run into issues when purchasing applications on your iPhone. 

If you are reading this, we can assume that you’re seeing a ‘Your purchase could not be completed’ error on your iPhone. 

This issue is often caused by invalid payment methods and regional restrictions. On the other hand, it can also be due to server-related issues, improper configurations, and unstable network connections. 

In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix the ‘Your purchase could not be completed’ error on your iPhone. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your Device. 

Before tweaking your configurations, we recommend restarting your device first if you can’t make a purchase on the App Store. This should ensure that your resources and account details are initialized correctly. 

For iPhone X, 11, 12, or later: 

1. Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears. 
2. Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds. 
3. Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device. 

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For iPhone 6, 7, 8, or SE: 

1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
2. Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
3. Drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds before turning on your device. 

Try purchasing another app to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Apple’s Servers. 

If you’re having a hard time purchasing applications from the App Store, there might be an issue with the service. To confirm this, you can visit Apple’s dedicated status page and check if there are ongoing problems with the App Store. 

Sadly, server-related problems can’t be resolved on your end. If the servers are down, the best thing you can do is wait for Apple’s team to address the issue. 

On the other hand, you can head to the next solution if there’s nothing wrong with the servers. 

3. Check Your Network Connection. 

Unstable networks could also cause the ‘Your purchase could not be completed’ error on your iPhone. Due to this, we recommend performing a test on your network using Fast.com to measure its current bandwidth. 

If the test indicates a problem with your network, power cycle your modem or router to re-establish the connection with your ISP. Unplug your router from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before plugging it back in. 

Once done, re-run the test on your network to check if the problem is solved. If the issue persists, contact your provider and ask them to handle the situation. 

4. Check Your Payment Info. 

If you can’t purchase applications on your iPhone, there’s a good chance that your payment information is not set correctly or there’s an issue with your bank or card. Before downloading applications, double-check your payment info and ensure that everything’s in order. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your iPhone, head to Settings and tap on your name. 
2. Now, tap on Media & Purchases > View Account and provide your account credentials. 
3. Access the Manage Payments tab afterward and check your current payment method. 

You can also try adding another method, if possible, and see if you can now purchase apps from the App Store. 

5. Re-Login Your Apple ID. 

Some users reported that their issue with purchasing on the App Store went away after signing out of their account and logging back in. If you haven’t tried this solution, it is worth trying out on your end. 

Follow the steps below to sign out of your Apple account: 

1. First, open the Settings app from your home screen. 
2. Next, tap on your name and scroll down to the bottom. 
3. Tap on Sign Out and follow the prompts. 

Once done, restart your iPhone and log back into your account. Try purchasing another app to check if the problem is solved. 

6. Turn Off VPN. 

If you are using a virtual private network, you might want to turn it off before making any transaction on the App Store. When you’re using a VPN, your device might report a different location, which can cause conflict with the App Store. 

To be sure, disable any VPN on your device before purchasing applications. 

7. Update Your iPhone. 

The version of iOS you’re using might have an underlying issue that prevents you from purchasing applications from the App Store. If this is the case, updating your software to the latest version should resolve the issue. 

Here’s how you can update your iPhone: 

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device. 
2. After that, go to General > Software Update. 
3. Finally, go to Automatic Updates and enable all the options under it. Head back to the previous page and tap on Download and Install. 

Once done, try buying another app to check if the problem is solved. 

8. Contact Apple. 

If none of the solutions above worked, we recommend that you let the professionals handle the situation. 

Head to Apple’s support page and submit a ticket about the issue you’ve been experiencing when purchasing applications. Provide a screenshot of the error, your region, the model of your iPhone, and other necessary details that can help Apple’s team address the issue. 

That wraps up our guide on how to fix the ‘Your purchase could not be completed’ error on your iPhone. If you have questions, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂