Buy on the US iTunes Music Store with any credit card (for international users)
As i’ve previously blogged, Apple doesn’t care much for the rest of the world.
All the cool stuff is on the US music store. There are 20 countries with an iTMS (iTunes Music Store from now on), but only the one for the United States has TV shows, and other features, probably for legal reasons.
The rest of us living on the other 180+ countries in the world have had to either get what we want illegally, or using a prepaid music card from iTunes that a friend has to buy, it’s a mess, and not all have friends in the US.
I’ve lost hope for Apple to open an iTMS in Latin America, and a couple of weeks ago, i decided to do my research and find out if there was a way for me to open an account on the US iTMS. And i’m happy to report that i was able to do it. This article will explain how i did it, and how you can do it aswell.
This is what you will need:
- International Credit Card (it does not matter where it is from)
- Address in the US (from a friend, it really doesn’t matter since you will not be receiving anything, it’s needed to open Paypal and iTMS accounts)
- US PayPal account (which anyone can open with a US address)
A few months ago, Apple introduced PayPal as a payment method for the US iTMS. It never worked for me since my PayPal (PP from now on) was from a different country.
After some tests, i found out anyone can open a US PP account, and that’s the only thing needed to create an iTMS account (PP will be your funding source).
- Opening a US PayPal account
- Opening a US iTMS account
Go to PayPal, and follow the steps to create a new account. It can be Personal, Premier or Business, it really doesn’t matter. Just make sure you’re opening a US PP account. Here’s where you will first need the US address, PP uses it to verify you’re actually in the US, so just enter the address of your friend, and complete the sign up process. Once you’re done, you will need a funding source for your PayPal account (if you don’t add a funding source, you will not be able to open the iTMS account). Sign in to your new PP account, and click “Add Credit Card”, follow the steps, and give PP your credit card information. They will ask you for the Credit Card (CC from now on) billing address, but it doesn’t matter, just put the same address you used to open the account. I’m not sure if this step is needed, but i enrolled in the Expanded Use Program, which allows you to send more money, if you don’t you will have a spending limit on your account of $300 i believe.
You should have your new US PP account with your CC as the funding source (the CC can very well be from your country, i used a Costa Rican CC). That’s all we’ll do at PP for now.
Open iTunes and go to the Music Store. Click sign in, hit create account, you will have a screen with a legal agreement, you will have to agree with it, hit continue, it will ask you for your email which will become your Apple ID, a password, a secret question, and your birthday, click continue, and you will be taken to a 3rd page, where it will ask you for your US CC information, there is a line which says “If your billing address is not in the US click here”, don’t click there, that will take you to your country’s iTMS (which we don’t have), so it’s useless. Just select PP and you will be taken to another page, which will ask you to verify your PP account, click where it says “To validate your PP account…”, that will take you to PP’s website, sign in, and you will then create a billing contract between your PP account and Apple, so they can take money from your PP when you purchase songs. Follow the easy steps, once done, PP will let you “Return to Merchant”, click that, it will take you back to the iTMS, and now your PP will be ready, just follow the last step, and you should be done. You should see something like this:
Congratulations, you are now able to shop on the US iTMS using your CC via PayPal.
Each time you buy something, PP will take the money from your CC, unless you have a positive balance in your account.
Notes:
- I believe this is illegal, content in the US iTMS is only for US residents, Apple or PayPal might track you down and put you in jail for the rest of your life if you do this.
- If you have any other PP accounts, make sure you’re not using the CC. When you add it to the new US PP account, it cannot be used in any other PP accounts.
- You might actually be forced to enroll in PP’s Expanded Use Program. The way it works is they charge $1.95 to your CC, and you have to wait a few days and ask your bank for a number that PP will put on the charge, with that 4 digit number you will be able to complete the enrollment. PP will then give you a credit for $1.95
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