using prepaid visa/navyfcu debit griftcard

I could be wrong, but I don't believe that the iTunes Store can accept Visa gift cards, only credit cards and bank debit cards. You may need to use that gift card to purchase an iTunes prepaid card and then use that with the Store.

Regards.

Visa gift cards do not work becasue they are not debit cards. iTunes has no way to determine who the card is billable to becasue there is no name or address attatched to it. Regualr credit and debit cards have an account number, name and address associated to them that can be verified. Visa gift cards use the same methods of payment and POS terminals in stores but they are in fact very different animals online where more extensive verification occurs. This type of verification is not possible with Gift cards.

Paul read your post accurately, and provided you with the best answer anyone here can. Regardless of what Visa claims on the back of their card, a gift card is not the same as a debit card, and the iTunes Store will only accept a true debit card (attached to a bank account), and will not accept a gift card other than their own iTunes cards. As Paul says, it's probably because there's no way of verifying your country of residence with a gift card, a verification which the record companies and other content owners require from Apple.

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

then how can i put money from my gift card onto itunes?

As I suggested back in my first post, use your Visa gift card to purchase an iTunes card, available from any number of retailers, including Target and Best Buy.

well either visa or itunes is wrong.

They are both right, you are reading their intentions incorrectoy. Understand this. Visa Gift cards are not Credit Cards or Debit Cards. Period, Finito. Even Visa doersnt claim what you are saying. Having worked in retail and for a software company that makes POS software I can tell you for certain that they are different things.

They work more similar to a traget giftcard where an ammount is tied to a number. Since target stores are connected to each outer, they know whats on any target gift card. Visa gift cards are similar except they use the same gateway services that regualr debit or credit cards use and tap into a Visa giftcard database (just like target does). These cards only have a number and an ammount though, no other information.

Credit cards have account infomation that includes: Credit card number, Account holder name, Billing address, balance, limit, etc.
Debit cards have less information since they do not posess infmation like APR, or monthly balence since they allready have money in them. They still have names and addresses on them.
Visa Gift Cards Onlu posess an account number and a balance.

Visa's statemet is correct becasue their gift cards use the same gateway that credit and debit cards do at physical terminals (which verify that the account is active and if there is sufficient funds). Many online stores online processing accept them because they are automating the same store processes.

iTunes (and other similar stores) have to take a step further because you have a live account. THey have to verify that the account will always have funds and is ongoing - in other words, they have a name and a phyiscal adress tied to thim. This is where visa gift cards fail the authorization, becsue there is no such information. Apple doesnt know that the card belongs to you or can verify that you can purchase content from them becasue all they have is the word of you being truthful on your account. THat isnt enough for them.

Apple and Visa are both right. Saing that they can be used anyhere a debit card is accepted is not the same as calling them a debit card.

also, if itunes say they accept debit cards, why don't they have that as a payment option

They do, they just dont differentiate simply because the information that you provide to them is no different weather its a credit card or a debit card. iTunes doesnt differentiate as long as they can verify the account is yours.

ok, but isn't my billing address (which i give them when i pay) enough for itunes even if they don't have it coming from visa? that's waht it sounds like from what you said....


No, Apple has no way to verify that you actially live wehere you claim to. For all that apple knows, you just made up that adress. Actually verifying it the long way is far to laborius and has legal complications. Having a credit or debit card that has a verifiable address is the only way for Apople to verify where you live and where you can buy music from. Your Visa gift card, simply lacks this information since its designed to be used once and tossed. Credit cards are only menat to be replaced once they expire. thats the key difference.

could i pay with "Bill-Me-Later" and use my gift card? would they accept it? (aren't they a seperate company? ie. i pay them, they pay itunes?)

No, the verification problem sitll exists.

think itunes is thinking "just debit cards" when the say debit cards, i don't think they are fully aware that that may include (in this case) gift cards. but, u can believe what u want, i just want to get money from my gift card onto my itunes account.

As I have gone to great measures to explain, Visa Gift Cards are NOT Debit cards, they serve similar functions but they lack certain information that makes them a gift card.

THe statement that visa makes is very true. Any physical vendor that can accept a debit card can accept a visa gift cards becasue they are very similar in function. But Apple Requires a actual debit card, because they need infrmation that a Visa gift card lacks.

So if i had a debit card and i selected the payment option "credit card" it would still accept it?

If it is a bank issued debit card that has either a Visa or Master Card logo (most do), I cannot see why it wouldn't.