pputnam
Level 3 (591 points)

Q: Setting up iPad 1 3G for friend

I bought an iPad 1st Gen AT+T on ebay. I'm assuming there will be no SIM card so I ordered one from Amazon.

I want to set up this iPad for a friend who is basically clueless. I would like to  use a VIsa Gift card to activate the

the 3G service for 3 months. Will I need to put my address as billing address or can I use hers. She does have an AT+T

account for her phone.

I haven't used an iPad 3G for a long time, but I seem to remember there was some issue with billing addresses if you are

not in AT+T territory which I am not. So, the ideal situation would be to use her address and the Visa gift card.

Should that work okay?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jul 15, 2012 2:51 PM

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pputnam

Q: Setting up iPad 1 3G for friend

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  • Helpful answers

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 4:11 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 4:11 PM in response to pputnam

    The gift card will not work. You will need to use her credit card that matches her account to set up the service. Let her do it.

  • by Allan Sampson,Helpful

    Allan Sampson Allan Sampson Jul 15, 2012 4:12 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 10 (123,464 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 4:12 PM in response to pputnam

    Does a Visa Gift Card include a billing address?

     

    There is no activation for a designated period of time longer than 30 days. The service is activated for 30 days and renewed automatically every 30 days on the initial activation date which must be cancelled before the activation date if you don't want to continue service with no cancellation penalty. You can re-activate service again later at any time.

     

    Based on the info included with this link, there is an option to enter a billing address as well as a service address which can can be different. If a Visa Gift Card doesn't include a billing address, I would enter your friend's billing and service address in the event she wants to continue service after the initial 3 months.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4157?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 4:15 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 4:15 PM in response to deggie

    She has no credit card.

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Allan Sampson
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Allan Sampson

    I think the gift card just has a zip code associated. I should be able to associate a card with her zip and just enter her billing and service address. When the card $$$ runs out, she can get a new one.

    Thanks.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to pputnam

    Does she have a debit card? If not, then she will not be able to set up 3G service with AT&T.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 4:21 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 4:21 PM in response to pputnam

    Use of the gift card will not work, AT&T will not accept it. In setting up the service it checks the card used to make sure the address associated with the card matches the persons home address. There is no way to check the address on the gift card through any service.

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 4:29 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 4:29 PM in response to deggie

    No, it doesn't have to match a person's home address. It has to match their billing address. You are allowed to have a different Billing and Service address.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 4:32 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 4:32 PM in response to pputnam

    True, but my point was that a gift card has no address tied to it.

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 5:22 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 5:22 PM in response to deggie

    I can set her up using my credit card if the gift card won't work.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 5:28 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 5:28 PM in response to pputnam

    Does your credit card have a US billing address?

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 5:30 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 5:30 PM in response to deggie

    Actually you can register a card with an address so you can use it for online purchases, so it might work.

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 5:31 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 5:31 PM in response to deggie

    yes.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jul 15, 2012 5:32 PM in response to pputnam
    Level 9 (54,821 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 15, 2012 5:32 PM in response to pputnam

    It is also numbered as a gift card, AT&T will not accept it.

     

    If you have a US credit card you can set up the 3G account and then pay for it.

  • by pputnam,

    pputnam pputnam Jul 15, 2012 6:01 PM in response to deggie
    Level 3 (591 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 6:01 PM in response to deggie

    Look what I found:

    fter much hassle, I got it working. Much thanks to

    (Name Removed) and (Name Removed) at Apple

    For their help and suggestions.


    History:


    I received my iPad 3G on Friday, 4/30/2010.

    Worked great, love it!! Then I tried to activate

    The AT&T 3G account. Wouldn’t accept my credit

    Card apparently because of the mailing address.

    I live in a small town with no mail delivery. So

    Apparently my street address is not in the USPS database.


    (Name Removed) of Apple suggested as a work-around

    Getting a pre-paid Visa card and using that to

    Activate the AT&T account. Since it’s pre-paid,

    AT&T doesn’t care about the address matching. Then

    In the AT&T activation process I can enter any valid

    Street address that’s in an AT&T coverage area.


    I did this, using my son’s address, and it worked!!

    It was a little funny though. At first it rejected my

    Visa, but could have been because I just bought it an

    Hour before. Maybe it wasn’t fully activated yet.


    A few hours later I tried again and low and behold,

    The iPad (AT&T) asked for my password. I entered the

    One I was attempting to create a couple of days ago,

    And it took it!! From there I just selected my data

    Plan and off it went, activating my account.


    Next, using the iPad, I accessed my AT&T account and

    Changed my billing info (credit card and address) to

    The one I’d been trying to use all along. It took it!!

    All is well.


    What a goofy system. Hopefully Apple and AT&T will be

    Looking at this. What a way to greet a new customer!


    Dan

    Hokah, MN