You need to follow, exactly, the instructions on the HT2534 page that you posted from when creating an account - if you don't use those instructions then credit card details will need to be entered before the account can be used to download any item (after entering your card's details you should then be able to remove them).
I've just tried the instructions and been able to create a new account with 'none' as the payment option, verified the account, and downloaded a free app.
Steps for creating an account with 'none' on a computer's iTunes : https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5729572?answerId=24321860022#24321860022