iTunes Store doesn't accept my German Credit card for an American Apple ID...is possible to register a German credit card for a foreign Apple ID?

You also have the option to purchase iTunes gift cards and redeem them, which would put a credit balance on your account, which would then be used to pay for your iCloud monthly payments without having to use your credit card.

Also, whether you wish to use content or not, that is how your ability to be registered in a country's store works, and the information from your credit card matching your Apple ID information is necessary. The address in your Apple ID has to match the billing address in your credit card, and when you change that, it creates the issue. And while you may not want to use something that requires copyright, it is a requirement of the iTunes and App Stores. I believe we all understand you don't like it, but that doesn't change it and there isn't anything we as fellow users can do about it.

If you wish to have Apple know your frustration, use their feedback link here, http://www.apple.com/feedback and click on the appropriate subject area.

Use another bank for Apple payments and keep it on a US address.

I have had internet merchants reject a payment when the shipping address was not identical to the card's billing address. The payment was accepted after the address was fixed.

Thanks ChrisJ4203, I might do that.

Makes me wonder what other information my US bank gives to Apple.

I mean, why/how is the bank allowed to give a merchant my address when I make a purchase?? If I buy a ham sandwich with my credit card at the local deli can the deli owner get my address from the bank?

And why/how is it legal for a merchant to refuse service to me based on my address on file with a private bank??

That all just feels smarmy and rife for abuse.......

Q.

There are a lot of other things going on there as far as the credit card is concerned, but considering your frustration, it isn't worth discussing, it will just raise your frustration level. Go the route I provided you with earlier.

I travel extensively and for months at a time. Apple's Kafkaesque billing alters the way and means I am able to communicate with my bank.

How the world do you know what original paper documents I need from my bank??? Ever sold property internationally without paper docs???

Further, forget about the movies and music. Some people use these devices as other than toys. All, I want is the iCloud services to retain pdf's and documents in the cloud. Effectively, I have to stop all paper communications with my bank when away so I can make a monthly $.99 payment to Apple.

Further, shipping to a different address other than my home US address is is a red flag for fraud? So, the times I bought a present for my niece in Florida and had it shipped directly to their address I'm a potential security risk?

Please, I really don't think so.

Q.

I sent them the feedback...

Thanks, ChrisJ4203.

Q.

You're welcome.

I can confirm. This is a frustrating Rube Goldberg conundrum.

I am a US citizen and have been working and living in New Zealand. I changed my mailing address with my US bank credit card issuer to A New Zealand address so I could still receive paper statements from the bank. Apple stopped accepting payments from that US credit card, because the mailing address was in NZ.

NO ONE at Apple customer support knew or could figure this out. It took 4days of frustration and intnational calls, before I just switched the mailing address on file at the bank back to a USA address.

Payments immediately began working again. But, now I can't get mail from my bank.

This is really, really bad customer billing processing for those US citizens who travel extensively and for extended periods. It is very disruptive. I basically have to choose between paying Apple (to keep all my iCloud service) and getting mail on time from my bank.

I mean, why/how is the bank allowed to give a merchant my address when I make a purchase?

It's to prevent fraud. If you order something expensive, the merchant can see if the shipping address matches the credit card's billing address. If the addresses don't match, they can do more checking to make sure it not somebody else who somehow got hold of your credit card number.

And why/how is it legal for a merchant to refuse service to me based on my address on file with a private bank?

It is required by movie and music publishers. Payments go to different companies depending on the country where the movies or music are sold. The country is determined by the setting of your Apple store account, which is verified by your credit card billing address.

If you travel and want to keep using the US Apple and iTunes store, keep your bank using your US address and download statements via the internet. Many banks have a hold mail option so mail won't pile up while you are away.

Purchasing a gift card in a foreign country doesn’t work in the USA store. That’s bad information. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. See below....

Below is a copy of the letter I sent Apple on the issue a few years back. I never got a response or an answer to my questions from the good folks at Infinity Loop....maybe you can answer a few of them?

All of this happened a short time after giving my bank my foreign mailing address. (As a matter of fact, my bank gives the option of electing a “physical address” and a separate “mailing address” . I elected to keep my physical address at my home in the US, and only asked them to change my mailing address while away.)

September 2015

Apple, Inc.

1 Infinity Loop

Cupertino, CA 95014

RE: Apple Case # xxxxxxxx

Dear Apple Billing and Payment,

I can not express to you my disappointment and frustration with Apple, Inc.

I am a long time Apple customer. I am enrolled in and pay for the following Music and Storage services with Apple:

• Apple Music
• iTunes Match
• iCloud monthly 50GB storage plan
• Apple Wallet

I am a US citizen who travels extensively internationally for business. I am currently in New Zealand on a Work visa for the past several months. I am scheduled to leaving New Zealand to work full time on another job in Saudi Arabia October 2, 2015.

I was recently alerted by Apple that my credit card information needs to be “updated”. Unfortunately, while updating the same credit card that has been on file with Apple for 4 years, Apple would not accept my Visa credit card ending in xxxx (or even the Visa debit card from the same bank). Again, this card ending in xxxx has been on-file and used for payments to Apple for several years with no problems.

Speaking with my bank, San Diego County Credit Union, they confirm that my address is correct and that they have received over a dozen payment inquiries to my account from Apple. SDCCU confirms to me it has authorized ALL of these payment inquires from Apple. The bank assures me there is no payment problems on their end. They have authorized every payment inquiry that has come from Apple.

I was told by one of your representatives, Brandon, that until this issue is resolved I should go buy a iTunes gift card; so that I can make a payment to keep my data storage and music plans from lapsing and LOOSING ALL MY DATA STORED IN ICLOUD.

I immediately went to the local grocery in and purchased a iTunes gift card (# xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx). Unknown to me this card will only work in the New Zealand iTunes store. So, the advice I was given was bad, and the card I purchased is useless as and I am leaving for Saudi Arabia in a week.

I have spent at least $50 in international calls, over 5 hours of my own time and $20 on a useless gift card - in the simple good faith effort to pay you, but you will not accept my payment.

All, I want to do is keep my storage plan active so I don’t loose my data and personal documents. But, apparently there is no way to do this with your current system.

Apple’s representative suggested my only alternative was to “call a friend in the US and have them buy me a Apple gift card to keep my account up to date”. I asked both Apple representatives, Lois and Fabian, (who gave me this suggestion) to send that suggestion to me in writing. Both, would only give the suggestion verbally. Honestly, to call friends back in the US and ask them to do this really does make me feel like a second class customer with your company. Further, to only give out “suggestions” verbally over the phone is no way to do business.

I would also like to point out that Lois could not tell me what would happen to my data, personal documents and purchased music if I was unable find a fix this billing problem on my own by October 01, 2015 when my data storage payment is due.

The only “suggestion” Apple will send me in writing is a link outlining the steps to changing my US based iCloud account to another country.

I am not a New Zealand citizen.Why would I change my account to another country that I am: not a citizen, have only worked in a few months and leaving in one weeks time?

Further, none of your Apple representative could tell me what my digital rights were as a US citizen being cajoled by your company to move my data and documents to a iTunes store outside the US.

Please let me know if I will I need to move my iCloud account and personal documents to the iTunes Store in Saudi Arabia while working there over the coming months.

As a US citizen in the xxxxxxx industry who travels internationally for business I can say that your company has been completely obstinate in accepting a payment from me, and no one will explain why. I really don’t know what else to do but write a hand written, hard copy, letter to your corporate offices and explain the situation, because none of your representatives know how to resolve this - and will only offer verbal suggestions in how to fix it.

I am requesting answers to the following questions about my Apple account:

Why is Apple refusing to process my credit card?

Is Apple requiring me to open another iTunes account outside of the USA at this time to keep my personal data in iCloud storage?

As a US citizen how long can I travel and work outside the USA before being required to open another iCloud account in another country?

Can my US credit card be used to open an iCloud/iTunes account in another country?

As a US citizen what are my privacy rights for personal documents when moved to and stored in a non-US Apple iTunes/iCloud account?

How does Apple track and monitor my time spent outside the USA (or other activities) to determine if I am required to open another off-shore iTunes account? How long is this data stored? Do I have access to review or dispute this data?

I feel like your company is holding my data, personal documents hostage - while at the same time refusing to accept bona-fide, good faith payment from a US citizen using a US banking institution.

I am also sending a copy of this letter to the Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection in Washington, DC.

No. You have to have a credit card and billing address from the country that you intend to create the Apple ID, and be located in that country. So, for a US Store Apple ID, you must have a US credit card, with a US billing address and be located in the US.

Note there isn't really such a thing as a "US Store AppleID". AppleIDs are not country specific in themselves but they are associated with a specific country and can be transferred. This is critical to note because you want to transfer your ID from country to country, not create a new one. If you want to use a credit card with an AppleID associated with the US Store you will have to use an accepted form of payment for the US Store which does not include non-US credit cards.

Before you change country make sure you have downloaded and backed up any purchases from your previous country's store. You will not be able to re-download them again once you change countries and it won't be easy to change countries to the previous one once you lose your payment method for the former country (as well as a wait period). As long as you have them on your computer you will be okay. You will also not be able to update any apps you have purchased.

Change your iTunes Store country or region - https://support.apple.com/HT201389 - "After you change the country of your account, you won't see the items you purchased from the previous country’s store in the Purchased section."

I can't change the country of my iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, or Mac App Store account - https://support.apple.com/HT204447

Poor choice of words on my part. I apologize for not being more specific. I really meant to say to change to the US App Store.

The same happened to me in Switzerland, were you able to solved this issue? This is outrageous