79

Get a US iTunes account

April 8, 2010 09:30 by Marc in ipad, iPhone

I know I have blogged this before, but I get requests daily from people asking on how to open a US iTunes account, as well as it IS a must have, so I decided it’s best to just post it again :)

I have had a couple of requests from people asking me where to buy iTunes Vouchers, and after a whole lot of research, I have found that the local guys iTunesUSA.co.za seem to be the best. If you don’t have a PayPal account, and want to use your credit card to purchase vouchers, I suggest using EvoPoints , iTunesUSA or WildTwig who accept PayPal

I can undoubtedly say, that this is probably the most important thing that you can do when you have an iPhone or iPad. By having a US iTunes account, you are able to download all of the cool apps, compared to whats available on the crappy South African store. You can also buy songs from the iTunes store.

You can now also get a Full Downloadable guide or we can even set up the account for you -> http://www.marcforrest.com/creating-an-itunes-app-store-account-without-a-credit-card/

Hows how to do it:

      • At the bottom of the screen in the iTunes store page, choose United States from the drop down. Make sure you are signed out of the SA iTunes Store if you have one
        Choose US Store
      • On the right of the US iTunes store you should see the Top 10 Free Apps. Select anyone one of these apps, and click get app. Be sure you select a FREE app with no in app purchases. To make it easier, simply click on this link, which will download an app I help develop, SA Lotto App (BE SURE TO SELECT A FREE APP, otherwise this will NOT work !!!! )
         Top 10 Free AppsGet App 
      • You will now be asked if you would like to sign in with an existing account or if you want to create a new account. Click “Create New Account”
        Create New Account
      • Go through all the steps required to create a new account.
        Tips:

        • When selecting your address you will need to put in a US physical address. There is validation done, so it needs to ensure you have a valid address. You can use Fakenamegenerator.com to generate an address & telephone number, or simply use the address of a fancy hotel in the US that you “own” :)Apple have recently implemented an address verification system on the address. My suggestion is to use a hotel address in Florida or a head office of some big shot corporate company in California. Google is your friend ;)
        • Use a valid email address, as you need to verify the account before you can use it. You will need to use a different email address to what you have registered to the South African store, otherwise it will shout at you. A neat trick is if you use a Gmail address, for eg. iphonesrock@gmail.com, you can also use iphones.rock@gmail.com and you will still get the mail. Put a dot anywhere in your gmail address and you instantly have a new email address. Clever hey :)
      • When you get to the”Provide a Payment Method” of the signup, you are asked for payment details. Make sure you choose NONE on the right. Make sure you also have United states selected at the bottom

Payment Type

  • You now have a fully fledged US iTunes account, but only able to get free apps ? But wait, there is more. Buy a iTunes voucher, load it onto your account, and you can now buy all the cool apps as well. Go to EvoPoints , iTunesUSA or WildTwigwho accept PayPal, and then you can buy vouchers which are emailed to you from the above site. Works a charm. Once you have your code after buying it, simply click on the Redeem option in iTunes, or Redeem on the Featured tab on the iPhone app store.

I have been using this method for ages now and have never had any issues. Leave a comment if you get stuck :)


About the Author

Written by Marc

iPhone Guru//Gadget freak//Triple dad//Top KZN Blogger//TweetAddic//Macboy//Sports fundi//Beer drinker//A little bit of everything for everyone :)


79 Responses to Get a US iTunes account

  1. dan April 8, 2010 at 09:39

    Has anyone tried buying stuff with SA card linked paypal on a US account ?

  2. Justin Stanford April 8, 2010 at 09:41

    Not only do you get all the cool iPhone apps, but you can also buy or rent digital movies, TV series, and music! Works a charm.

  3. Andre April 8, 2010 at 09:59

    @Dan Yes. No go. Also tried an Entropay card. couldn’t bluff it around. Vouchers, as Marc says.

  4. Gresh April 8, 2010 at 11:38

    @Dan – You need to have a Credit Card that is registered in the US in order to buy stuff. Ive tried, the site knows your card is registered else where! Buy the Itunes Voucher like Marc says, really is easy, and it works.

  5. Ruan April 8, 2010 at 11:59

    I wonder if an FNB Paypal account may work…

  6. Rinus April 8, 2010 at 12:33

    You probably should warn people that this does break the EULA of the US Store and that Apple has the right to freeze your account if they want to.

    I haven’t heard of this happening before, but it is possible.

  7. wilks April 10, 2010 at 15:07

    there must be places around online selling us itunes store gift cards. if so, get one using paypal and use th. I guess no CC / matching address necessary. any thoughts?

  8. Neil April 20, 2010 at 15:48

    I have tried this and there is no “None” option. I either have to enter a CC or Paypad and I am guessing neither will work if they are registered in SA?

  9. Amit May 9, 2010 at 20:09

    Does this mean I need to create a South Africa itunes account to purchase a voucher, and then load that voucher onto my US itunes account?

  10. Rory May 26, 2010 at 16:17

    Way too cool!!!
    Thank you, Mark!

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  12. Mattymaky May 29, 2010 at 16:23

    Thanks in advance for that. If I buy a TV show from the new US account and I then sync my Ipod Touch will I lose all the other shows that I bought with my UK account?

  13. marc June 15, 2010 at 14:51

    when trying to open the account the option for none no longer comes up , what do you do now

  14. ekrazy July 25, 2010 at 12:14

    tried registering using Paypal.. it doesn’t work on the US Account. i think this option Marc sent is the better option at the moment.

  15. Dawn August 5, 2010 at 10:17

    i’ve been buying apps since day one without even knowing that there was a problem! i have a .me subscription (R790 odd a year) and even tho i use my SA credit card to renew subs yearly, I have full access to the app store… my credit card charges me aprox R1.40 per $0.99c app for currency conversion…. so whats all this hoopla guys? just get a .me subscription, its worth it in many many ways….

  16. Hoekstes August 13, 2010 at 16:02

    Damn, the None option has been removed. What now?

  17. Jules August 14, 2010 at 21:14

    Hey Marc – I am having a problem althought I am trying this from an apple mac computer not an iphone – but there is no option to select ‘none’ with the payment and its not recognising my voucher number.

    Does this only work for an iphone?

    Many thanks,
    Jules

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  19. Rob September 2, 2010 at 11:48

    I have sone UK GBP Itunes vouchers – can these be redeemed via a US iTunes account or does one have to create a UK account? If so what process does one follow?

  20. Marc September 2, 2010 at 19:09

    @Rob As far as I know you can’t use UK vouchers in the US store. May be worth a try though ?

  21. sam September 7, 2010 at 17:21

    i did that but the app wont go on to my ipod touch it says something about thecomputer but the instructions to fix it wont pop up again

  22. Pingback: Where to buy your US iTunes vouchers | Marc Forrest.com

  23. Michael October 28, 2010 at 16:32

    Hi there. I am having major problems. The website that I go to doesn’t have many of the links that you mention. Can you please give me the details of the website that I must go to? many thanks, Michael

  24. alex k November 24, 2010 at 15:30

    Can you gift apps from an American account to a South African account? wil it allow you to download it in south africa?

  25. New2This December 11, 2010 at 14:50

    I tried this method, but just before I can move on to Step #6, I keep getting “Please contact iTunes support to complete this transacation.” … Is this a new thing in iTunes 10.1? Any way around this?

  26. Brave new world December 22, 2010 at 14:33

    thank you for post- i am stuck without the none option-
    So ..if I use a u.s credit card (not mine),register the new u.s account and buy a voucher here there is no risk of the card owner getting charged??
    btw-I do not want to buy any apps -just free things
    thanks in advance

  27. Gary Howison December 23, 2010 at 15:43

    Afternoon.

    I know you have blogged this so many times. It looks like they have taken the none payment option away when creating a account. any new ideas

    Gary

  28. Marc December 23, 2010 at 15:54

    Hi Gary. Are you 100% sure you selected a free app at the beginning of the process ?

  29. Sheldon December 25, 2010 at 22:37

    the phone number wont work i tried everything i changed it to new york and type the number it keeps on asking me for in help???

  30. Concerned December 28, 2010 at 01:28

    @Rinus is right to mention that this process is in violation of the Apple iTunes Licence agreement and is similar to software piracy- music, apps, TV shows etc purchased in this way are not legal. Sad but true! If you want to buy music online legally in SA the only viable option right now is to use the Nokia OVI music store. R80 for most CDs and R8 per single track. There is currently no legal way to buy movies or tv shows online in South Africa. SAdly.

  31. josh December 28, 2010 at 10:47

    Works like a dream!! Thanks so much

  32. Cas December 31, 2010 at 09:50

    I’ve been using my normal SA itunes account since I got my iPhone. SO, I have a large number of apps on my phone, and on iTunes on my PC.

    What will happen to these apps if I create a US iTunes account? Will I be able to use apps from both accounts at the same time?

  33. Duan January 18, 2011 at 12:02

    I found a great place to buy US iTunes vouchers. Since i opened my US account, my iPhone has been so great. It really is worth looking at. http://www.zhljerry.com/

  34. Bevan January 20, 2011 at 11:50

    looks like they have removed the “none” option on the payment selection… I guess they’re on to us!

  35. Bruce smith January 31, 2011 at 22:13

    Current iTunes doesn’t have none option and you credit card doesn’t have the correct end 3 digits

  36. Ashly February 6, 2011 at 17:40

    Worked well thanks alot, just one question can i still use both accounts ie sa and usa or should i just stick to one of them. thanks again.

  37. Marc February 6, 2011 at 18:01

    @Ashly Best to just choose one.The US one. You can still sync and upgrade your apps using your SA one if you have already purchased apps

  38. Ashly February 6, 2011 at 18:42

    thanks marc. just another thing can i authorize the us one or is that not advisable.and can i syn them from both accounts.

  39. Marc February 6, 2011 at 18:57

    Yip you can authorise both accounts, but best just to sync from one

  40. Ashly February 6, 2011 at 19:10

    sorry. when you say sync would that be the songs only or everything and which one should i sync from. i hate to sound like a pain but i want to do it right.

  41. Di Kruger February 17, 2011 at 12:57

    They have removed the none option from the payment method – any way around this?

  42. Nichoas February 24, 2011 at 21:34

    How do youdo iy now because theyve removed the ‘none’ option please help

  43. Nicholas February 24, 2011 at 21:36

    they’ve removed the none option please help

  44. Marc February 24, 2011 at 21:39

    Hey Nicholas.
    They haven’t removed the none option, you NEED to ensure you are selecting a FREE app at the beginning of the process.

    Cheers
    Marc

  45. Di Kruger February 25, 2011 at 08:16

    We do select FREE apps and still do not get the NONE option!

  46. Marc February 25, 2011 at 09:07

    @Di

    I just tested now by setting up a new account, and it worked 100% and gave the None option.
    Also make sure you have selected the US store when started out

  47. Di Kruger February 25, 2011 at 11:26

    Thanks Marc could you tell me which product you chose as although they say free obviously some are not. thank you!

  48. Nicholas February 25, 2011 at 14:32

    Thanks Marc :)

    Just wanna now how do you ensure your’e free app cause it says I gotta give my credit card no.

    Thanks again

  49. Pingback: Get a US iTunes account « Rudi Engelbrecht's Blog

  50. lathan March 14, 2011 at 11:40

    Now you can also get itunes vouchers at [deleted]…. best rates in South Africa.

    Edited: Thanks for the comment, but this is not an advertising site !

  51. Angy April 18, 2011 at 10:01

    Awesome!!!
    Thank you

  52. Cathy May 1, 2011 at 00:34

    I made the mistake of not selecting the FREE app before going on to Register… read the comments and went back and the NONE option was there!! Thanks so much! feel an idiot as see you’ve even highlighted this in RED!! :D

  53. Cathy May 1, 2011 at 00:57

    Just encountered a prob when I went to sync to the phone the SA Lotto and another Free app… it tells me that I am not authorised to sync to this ocmputer and advises I go to settings to do so. Is this ok? Have I missed a step?

  54. Pingback: iTunes app store “Invalid Address” Error - MarcForrest.com | MarcForrest.com

  55. Dion May 11, 2011 at 19:33

    Hi Marc,
    I have been using a US iTunes account for a few months now and has worked well. I have noticed from yesterday that I can’t update any of my apps? Any ideas?

  57. Sam June 2, 2011 at 22:04

    Howzit Marc,

    I’ve been searching the internet for several months when I first got my iPod Touch 2nd Gen. in 2009 on how to get a US iTunes store account.

    When I finally found out how I created one with a gift voucher and chose “None” as payment method, those days you couldn’t just created an account when buying a free app.

    It all went well until I got the craving to actually by stuff from the store, but I never trusted Gift Cards you had to buy online.

    I then created a PayPal account, linked my credit card with it and tried to use PayPal as my payment method but it still gave me an error that you need to have a valid funding source in the United States.

    All-and-all, in respond to Dan and ruan, it is indeed possible to buy directly from PayPal with your South African credit card on the US iTunes store. No more need for any “Gift Card” nonsense.

    Now Marc, I’m a bit scared to post this on the internet as I don’t know whether somebody has done this before and I really don’t want Apple to pick up on this whole.

    Please email me for further info mate.

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  59. Vince June 28, 2011 at 09:46

    Sam and all – I created a paypal account with a beverley hills hotel as my address and hooked it up to my ccard. All fine and verified and everyone happy. Hoever, when I created a US Itunes account there is NO OPTION for “None” as shown on the blog, you have to choose some form of payment, which i did – Paypal, because our pal, Sam here, said he did it less than a month ago according to his post above – however, when I tried to link paypal in US with my iTunbes account in US, it bombed saying that: “ERROR DETECTED” This Recipient requires that you have a valid funding source from United States (sic) in order to complete this transaction.”

    Now what?

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  62. Joe Biden June 29, 2011 at 16:56

    Is this legal?

  63. Q June 29, 2011 at 18:29

    Hi Marc

    Of those lists of places where we can get iTunes vouchers from, which do you think is most reliable?

  64. Marc June 29, 2011 at 18:33

    I have never had any issues with any of the guys. I use iTunesUSA the most to buy my vouchers as they have a great support system as well as instant delivery. Otherwise all the other guys are not bad at all :)

  65. Alexis Metro July 4, 2011 at 13:51

    I have recently started a site, the info you provide on this web site has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work.

  66. Alexa August 13, 2011 at 09:38

    Thanks I tried this and it totally worked for me. This was really helpful :)

  67. Leroi September 2, 2011 at 09:24

    Hi there. I hope you can help me. I created a uk iTunes account. Had a voucher that I bought in London. Activated everything and bought a few songs. Now my whole iTunes library is gone and I have the 6 songs I bought in it’s place. What am I doing wrong?

  68. Mel September 24, 2011 at 17:47

    Do you know why all the apps from my US account do not open on my iphone. They load, but when I select them they just go black & then close? Any suggestions

  69. Discount Michelin Tires October 19, 2011 at 02:50

    Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!

  70. Sean October 20, 2011 at 14:53

    Hi There, Hope you guys can help me out, so I got myself a us itunes account, but now Im unsure on how I should register my ipad…. It keeps the address I put in for the itunes account. Will this affect my warranty…?
    Reply would be greatly appreciated!!

  71. Samuel October 20, 2011 at 14:58

    Hi Sean,

    Storing a US iTunes store account on any Apple device won’t affect its warranty at all.

    Regards

  72. Odette November 1, 2011 at 07:20

    Hi

    Thanks so much for all the valuable info on this site.

    So just to summarise (please correct if I’m wrong)…this is how I can do things.

    1) Register iPad with my SA account
    2) Use SA account when I sync with my PC
    3) Create US account for apps not available in SA store
    – Buy vouchers from 3rd-party site & pay for apps in iTunes
    4) Switch between the two accounts to use the respective apps in each
    – My movies, pictures and music that I synced using my SA account will only be available when I sign in with that account
    – To use my regular email I have to sign in with my SA account
    5) I cannot transfer US apps to my SA account (?)

  73. ash November 15, 2011 at 09:51

    It seems as though the newly launched iTunes Match service requires a US credit card on file, which is a pity.

    Has anyone found a way around this requirement yet? Failing that, how do we open a US bank account from South Africa?

  74. osman November 18, 2011 at 14:48

    hi
    When i try to verify my apple id. i get the message that this id is linked to another email address.
    i’ve tried using 3 different emails with different information. nothing seems to work.
    have they figured this trick out at apple??

  75. Charles November 25, 2011 at 22:29

    Hi Marc
    The guys at Apple have figured a way to stop the loophole! Heavens know why because they are making money through the vouchers? Tried 4 email addresses and the message when I verified was always”This email address is no longer associated with an Apple ID”. Could anyone help please?

  76. Ryan December 4, 2011 at 21:36

    Would this only work rom a pc or can I do I do this from mi iPad?

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  78. Rob January 20, 2012 at 18:36

    Hi Marc, Any way around this is you do not have a US PayPal account?

  79. Stuart February 4, 2012 at 10:07

    You are a legend, it worked like a dream

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