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flu45 · Jan 13, 2009, 09:05 AM

I am from Brasil. I have a international credit card, but for some reason I can only buy things from the brasilian store, which is, about, 10% of the american store.
Is there a way I can buy things from the iTunes American Store ?

mduell · Jan 13, 2009, 03:09 PM

Get a credit card with a US billing address.

richwig83 · Jan 13, 2009, 03:57 PM

Buy a US itunes store card off ebay!

Spheric Harlot · Jan 13, 2009, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by richwig83

Buy a US itunes store card off ebay!

I don't think that makes sense.

You need a BILLING ADDRESS in the country of the store you wish to use.

Simon · Jan 13, 2009, 05:30 PM

Why would you need a billing address if yuu have a gift card?

Spheric Harlot · Jan 13, 2009, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Why would you need a billing address if yuu have a gift card?

Because you need an account to register the gift card under.

Simon · Jan 14, 2009, 03:43 AM

Here's the thing. You don't actually need a billing address in the US to use the US Apple Store. What really counts is that the credit card has been issued by a credit card company in the US. If you can get a US credit card your billing address is irrelevant.

flu45 · Jan 14, 2009, 08:09 AM

Thank you for all your comments. I have an AMEX. I can´t understand the reason. Apple can put the things I buy in the AMEX. Why I can only buy things from the iTunes Store from Brasil ?????? The address is not relevant. When I go to anywhere in the world, I bought things with my AMEX and I received the invoice, normally, in Brasil.
It makes no sense. Got to have something hidden.

Spheric Harlot · Jan 14, 2009, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by flu45

Thank you for all your comments. I have an AMEX. I can´t understand the reason. Apple can put the things I buy in the AMEX. Why I can only buy things from the iTunes Store from Brasil ?????? The address is not relevant. When I go to anywhere in the world, I bought things with my AMEX and I received the invoice, normally, in Brasil.

This is because the address IS RELEVANT.

You receive the invoice for your credit card in Brasil.

You have an American Express card that was ISSUED IN BRASIL.

They are different stores, with different licensing and distribution agreements.

The reason why this is so is because all music distribution is based on "old" models.
Record distribution has always been completely controlled by regional distribution contracts. This is why an album will say "© 2008 One Little Indian Records. Licensed by EMI for Australia and Europe (excluding United Kingdom)." EMI has a regional distribution deal. South America might be handled by CBS Brasil, or some other company, or not at all.

Of course, there is no reason, electronically, why this should still be the case when dealing with an online store, but in reality, the money made in the iTunes Store(s) must be paid to whichever company owns the distribution license for that country. Hence the tie to your address.

ghporter · Jan 14, 2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

They are different stores, with different licensing and distribution agreements.

This Is The Key.

Frankly, it's a stupid thing, but since different countries have their own copyright and licensing laws, each country has a separate iTunes Store that enforces the licensing for content in each of these countries. So a Brazilian (since he has a Brazil address) must be entitled to only Brazil-licensed content, or so goes the logic.

And I have to agree with SH here; a US issued credit card doesn't say where the customer is, but the billing address does. In every case of this sort of thing coming up, the resolution for "using the US iTunes Store" has been some sort of US billing address for the credit card the iTunes account is set up with.

Simon · 08:56 AM

Well that reasoning's all fine, but here's a piece of reality to show it doesn't quite work like that.

I have a European billing address and yet I buy all my music in the US store. How does it work? Well, I use the same US credit card I had for years before I moved to Europe. After I moved abroad I notified my credit card company that I have a new address. They now send bills to my address in Europe. But I still have a US credit card.

In the iTunes store all I had to do is select US and enter the credit card details. As the billing address I enter my European address. There's a catch here, though. One you chose a store Apple fills the country entry in your billing address and there's no way of changing that. The good news is it's irrelevant. I enter my European billing address and as country it says USA. Does that cause any problems? No. The credit card verifies because all they check is the number, expiration date, CVC and name. The verification doesn't fail just because the countries don't match.

The important things is that the credit card has to be issued in the same country as the store you are buying from which means you at one point probably have had to have an address in that country. But once you leave, there's no problem sticking with that store even if your billing address changes. Sure it's probably a loophole, but who cares as long as it works.

Spheric Harlot · Jan 14, 2009, 08:58 AM

Ah. So it's not actually the billing address that matters (if you're billing to a credit card); it's the country where the credit card was issued.

And flu45, you have a credit card issued in Brazil.

Simon · Jan 14, 2009, 09:16 AM

Yeah, that's the crucial point.

Even if he has an "American" credit card, it was issued in Brazil to a Brazilian address. That's the reason he can only shop in the Brazilian store. If he went to the US though, got a 'real' American credit card and then took that back to Brazil he's be able to shop in the US store from Brazil.

I'd say it the CC issuer's address that matters, not your address or the billing address.

mattyb · Jan 14, 2009, 09:32 AM

I concur with Simon, I can use a UK issued CC for the UK iTunes even though all of my details as the holder of this CC point towards France.

IIRC, Steve Jobs himself doesn't like the situation and said that it encouraged piracy.

ghporter · Jan 14, 2009, 05:51 PM

That's very interesting. While I can see how a "US" credit card could be identified, it seems to be counter to the whole "local licensing" issue to not go by the billing address for the customer's location. Whatever really works though is what really works. I wonder if the way it works is that the card was originally issued in the States (or in the UK in mattyb's case).

Simon · Jan 15, 2009, 03:51 AM

Of course. It's the credit card issuer's address that counts. So if you can get a card issued to you in the US you can go wherever you want and should still be able to buy from the US store.

But what I'm wondering is if somebody say from Brazil can get a US CC company to issue a US CC to a foreign address with a USD balance. So I'm not talking about the Brazilian branch of AMEX issuing a CC in Brazil in BRL, I'm asking about a foreigner with otherwise no ties to the US being able to get a US credit card. If there was a way to do that, that could be a solution for the OP. But I doubt it. My guess is if you apply for a CC with a US CC company, they will require you to have some kind of US residence. Any banking experts here?