Problems with old legacy Apple ID since updates to Sonoma on macbook (payment and login issues)
Ok I have a question on Sonoma and what apple has done to how older/legacy apple ID’s like mine (the ones that had login name vs email login name like the newer iCloud ones). All my subscriptions, software and media purchases (and upgrades have always been through my legacy login name old Apple ID. This has worked well and the old legacy seems to sit under the umbrella of our iCloud account Apple ID for several years.
Something changed this past month of December and I started having issues logging in via the legacy Apple ID name on certain apple sites. Kept wanting an email address which was confusing. Sometimes I would just go to iCloud Apple ID and complete task. My iCloud login Apple ID for long time was the original @mac.com address even though they moved though @me.com and finally to settle on the @icloud.com i never had Apple ID issues like I see now.
Now it seems in Sonoma (and iPadOS and iOS) the overarching Apple ID now is specifically @icloud.com not my favorite @mac.com address I still use (an alias I believe at this stage) for long time the @mac.com seemed ok. I also believe that the old legacy Apple ID with a login name was assigned to one of the aliases (@me.com ect or perhaps @icloud.com do not remember) since my main Apple ID was assigned to my favorite @mac.com address. Now the later does not work the legacy Apple ID wants a specific real email address no aliases, cannot use the @icloud.com one as that goes to main Apple ID account, and the aliases of @mac.com and @me.com and one other I created back in day will not work
Not sure when the official Apple ID went to @icloud.com but sometime in the iOS and iPadOS 17.x and Sonoma 14.x updates it did specifically when apple tried to let me know all of a sudden my default Apple Pay bank card I used for all my purchases over years (media, software, subscriptions— often done via my ipad from couch LOL) would not work with the legacy name only Apple ID. I got an email that my next subscription payment for Office 365 would not work. I went on and looked and yesterday (with the email telling me a problem) found that my legacy Apple ID payment method said this card had expired date, and no security code. But when I looked and clicked (on mac or ipad) no way to change and update it. So I deleted it and tried to put the bank card back in but apple says it cannot verify even though it is there under Apple Pay on my ipad/iphone and MacBook in the wallet. And it is there as payment under my main @icloud.com Apple ID account as well.
It appears to me that with Sonoma, (and the iOS and ipadOS 17 perhaps?) apple has finally? forced us legacy users to login with an assigned real (not alias) email account rather than the old name only login? Since all my payments for media, subscriptions, and software purchases have always been with the legacy name only Apple ID account not about to switch to the main iCloud and abandon things too much work and many of the subscriptions and updates occur randomly so for example to purchase Office 365 (a subscription) I would have to start a new subscription under the @icloud.com account and redownload the software and install again on macbook (a real pain) and for future subscriptions the same issue. For software and media purchases I would have to also repurchase.
So the need for the legacy account will always be there. But it starts to seem to me like apple is trying to kill these old accounts or some major change in how Apple ID works especially in Sonoma has occurred. I have read online of a lot of difficulties with Apple ID and iCloud and such since Sonoma and am suspicious of some major change in program code for Sonoma and how they want to use Apple ID. I even found another person who had problems with account all their purchases were on. And card no longer valid and could be reinstalled as payment as “apple could not verify). Suspect is was a legacy account but poster did not say. Here is his post matches my experience with payment error in Sonoma :
————————————————-
discussions.apple.com
I'm told in Settings that there was a problem with my payment method. I am not able to re-enter it. The card is used for all my online purchases and subscriptions with no problem except for here. What can I do to get this straightened out. I deleted the method that they said wasn't valid and tried to re-enter, but its not accepted.
But the same card has been used for all payments until now. I tried to enter my credit card info again, but it is not accepted. I'm told to contact Apple Support.
I'm told in Settings that there was a problem with my payment method. I am not able to re-enter it. The card is used for all my online purchases and subscriptions with no problem except for here. What can I do to get this straightened out. I deleted the method that they said wasn't valid and tried to re-enter, but it’s not accepted.
——————————————————-
My workaround for now was that I found my legacy Apple ID would accept and verify my Apple Card (of course LOL) and so that is now assigned to my legacy Apple ID and payments. I will have to manually just pay the random 10 subscription/updates assigned to it and still be able to use all my already purchased (with no further need to pay) media and software. Not great but the payment of my Apple Card is a breeze from the wallet (already do with my citizens monthly payment for my 15 ProMax.
Something changed this past month of December and I started having issues logging in via the legacy Apple ID name on certain apple sites. Kept wanting an email address which was confusing. Sometimes I would just go to iCloud Apple ID and complete task. My iCloud login Apple ID for long time was the original @mac.com address even though they moved though @me.com and finally to settle on the @icloud.com i never had Apple ID issues like I see now.
Now it seems in Sonoma (and iPadOS and iOS) the overarching Apple ID now is specifically @icloud.com not my favorite @mac.com address I still use (an alias I believe at this stage) for long time the @mac.com seemed ok. I also believe that the old legacy Apple ID with a login name was assigned to one of the aliases (@me.com ect or perhaps @icloud.com do not remember) since my main Apple ID was assigned to my favorite @mac.com address. Now the later does not work the legacy Apple ID wants a specific real email address no aliases, cannot use the @icloud.com one as that goes to main Apple ID account, and the aliases of @mac.com and @me.com and one other I created back in day will not work
Not sure when the official Apple ID went to @icloud.com but sometime in the iOS and iPadOS 17.x and Sonoma 14.x updates it did specifically when apple tried to let me know all of a sudden my default Apple Pay bank card I used for all my purchases over years (media, software, subscriptions— often done via my ipad from couch LOL) would not work with the legacy name only Apple ID. I got an email that my next subscription payment for Office 365 would not work. I went on and looked and yesterday (with the email telling me a problem) found that my legacy Apple ID payment method said this card had expired date, and no security code. But when I looked and clicked (on mac or ipad) no way to change and update it. So I deleted it and tried to put the bank card back in but apple says it cannot verify even though it is there under Apple Pay on my ipad/iphone and MacBook in the wallet. And it is there as payment under my main @icloud.com Apple ID account as well.
It appears to me that with Sonoma, (and the iOS and ipadOS 17 perhaps?) apple has finally? forced us legacy users to login with an assigned real (not alias) email account rather than the old name only login? Since all my payments for media, subscriptions, and software purchases have always been with the legacy name only Apple ID account not about to switch to the main iCloud and abandon things too much work and many of the subscriptions and updates occur randomly so for example to purchase Office 365 (a subscription) I would have to start a new subscription under the @icloud.com account and redownload the software and install again on macbook (a real pain) and for future subscriptions the same issue. For software and media purchases I would have to also repurchase.
So the need for the legacy account will always be there. But it starts to seem to me like apple is trying to kill these old accounts or some major change in how Apple ID works especially in Sonoma has occurred. I have read online of a lot of difficulties with Apple ID and iCloud and such since Sonoma and am suspicious of some major change in program code for Sonoma and how they want to use Apple ID. I even found another person who had problems with account all their purchases were on. And card no longer valid and could be reinstalled as payment as “apple could not verify). Suspect is was a legacy account but poster did not say. Here is his post matches my experience with payment error in Sonoma :
————————————————-
My account payment is no longer valid, ac… - Apple Community
My account payment is no longer valid, according to Apple.
But the same card has been used for all payments until now. I tried to enter my credit card info again, but it is not accepted. I'm told to contact Apple Support.I'm told in Settings that there was a problem with my payment method. I am not able to re-enter it. The card is used for all my online purchases and subscriptions with no problem except for here. What can I do to get this straightened out. I deleted the method that they said wasn't valid and tried to re-enter, but its not accepted.
But the same card has been used for all payments until now. I tried to enter my credit card info again, but it is not accepted. I'm told to contact Apple Support.
I'm told in Settings that there was a problem with my payment method. I am not able to re-enter it. The card is used for all my online purchases and subscriptions with no problem except for here. What can I do to get this straightened out. I deleted the method that they said wasn't valid and tried to re-enter, but it’s not accepted.
——————————————————-
My workaround for now was that I found my legacy Apple ID would accept and verify my Apple Card (of course LOL) and so that is now assigned to my legacy Apple ID and payments. I will have to manually just pay the random 10 subscription/updates assigned to it and still be able to use all my already purchased (with no further need to pay) media and software. Not great but the payment of my Apple Card is a breeze from the wallet (already do with my citizens monthly payment for my 15 ProMax.