# Can You Use a Debit Card to Pay for iTunes?



## Amie (Jul 29, 2005)

I'm thinking about signing up for an iTunes account so that I can purchase songs from the iTunes music store. I noticed in the billing section of iTunes it says that you will receive an invoice/billing statement along with your credit card bill and are responsible for sending in the payments, blah, blah, blah... But what if I don't have a credit card, per se? It's actually a debit/quick check card but can be used as either a credit card where you sign your signature (but I never get monthly bills, it just comes right out of my checking account) or as a debit card (swipe and put pin number in). 

I've used my debit card for other online purchases such as monthly payments for memberships, etc., and the cost just comes right out of my checking account each month. Can I use my debit card for iTunes as well? How does that work? Instead of sending me a credit card bill, will they just take the money directly out of my account every month based on how many songs I've purchased that month? 

Thanks to anyone who can clarify this!


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jul 29, 2005)

I use mine this exact way -- it's a debit/check card, but carries the VISA logo, and I use it as the credit card required by the iTunes Music Store.

Works fine.


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## kainjow (Jul 29, 2005)

If you can use it at a store as a credit card, then yes. My bank lets me do this, so I use it everywhere.


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## Amie (Jul 29, 2005)

Great, thanks to both of you! Yes, mine is a Visa as well. So, I'm guessing iTunes won't bill me a monthly statement (as claimed in the billing information section) because it's not actually a credit card (no monthly payments, interest rates, etc.). They will just take the money from my account once a month for all the songs that I've purchased in that month, correct?

By the way, I love your little hamster photo. Very cute!  Is that your pet?


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## leydog (Jul 29, 2005)

iTunes should be no problem, but be careful about using your debit card for Internet purchases -- it doesn't have the guarantees that a real credit card has -- no disputing, no payment holdbacks in event of non-delivery or double billing, etc.


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## sirstaunch (Jul 29, 2005)

Not all banks have the debit VISA (almost typed Vista) Cards. If you're in Australia, St George do, but we ain't got the music store yet  And oh, Bendigo Bank have Prepaid Mastercards, they do a credit check on you :O

There are ways of getting prepaid MasterCards in some European Countrys, but I don't know how you could prepay from another Nation, seems silly aye, pay by debit Visa? 

I could suggest though, if you know someone with some sort of creditcard, is to pay them to purchase you a gift voucher on iTunes so you could buy from the store.

And to answer the question (well if you don't have the money in your account when you purchase a song, you won't get the song) the debit Visa will work like a creditcard.

Good Luck


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jul 29, 2005)

Amie said:
			
		

> Great, thanks to both of you! Yes, mine is a Visa as well. So, I'm guessing iTunes won't bill me a monthly statement (as claimed in the billing information section) because it's not actually a credit card (no monthly payments, interest rates, etc.). They will just take the money from my account once a month for all the songs that I've purchased in that month, correct?


Actually, on mine, I'm charged within a day or two of purchasing the song, so if I purchase 4 different songs on different days each month, I am charged four different times during that month.

Since mine's a debit card that also functions as a credit card, the fund are immediately taken out of my checking account when the purchase is processed -- not once at the end of the month.


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## kainjow (Jul 29, 2005)

Amie said:
			
		

> Great, thanks to both of you! Yes, mine is a Visa as well. So, I'm guessing iTunes won't bill me a monthly statement (as claimed in the billing information section) because it's not actually a credit card (no monthly payments, interest rates, etc.). They will just take the money from my account once a month for all the songs that I've purchased in that month, correct?
> 
> By the way, I love your little hamster photo. Very cute!  Is that your pet?


ElDiabloConCaca is right. When you have a debit card, it's taken out of your bank account *immediately*. It doesn't matter who is taking the money out (iTunes, Apple Store, Gap, etc), it's all the same.

Heh, that hamster pic is just some random one I found online


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## Amie (Jul 30, 2005)

leydog said:
			
		

> iTunes should be no problem, but be careful about using your debit card for Internet purchases -- it doesn't have the guarantees that a real credit card has -- no disputing, no payment holdbacks in event of non-delivery or double billing, etc.


Oh, yes, it most certainly does. My debit card is just like a Visa (only no monthly bills or interest rates), and it's fully secured with the security/theft padlock on the card. If it gets stolen or used without my consent, I simply call and report it, and it's covered; I don't pay for purchases that I didn't make. Simple as that. It has all the protection and gurantees that a real credit card has, yes indeed. Otherwise, I wouldn't have it.


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## Amie (Jul 30, 2005)

OK, thank you for clarifying that for me. Man, that iTunes music store is REALLY raking in the cash! That was a mulit-billion-dollar idea, wasn't it? I just recently created my account and already purchased five songs. I need to pace myself. LOL It's so cool, though, when you see/hear songs that are among your favorites from the 80s (or whatever era of music you like best), you just HAVE to buy it. Also, I like the fact that you don't have to buy just one CD of the same artist like you would in a regular music store, and chances are you only like two songs on the entire CD. With iTunes music store, you can simply buy whatever inidividual songs you want, which is a fantastic idea, IMO. I guess that's why fools like us are iTunes members.  LOL

Plus ... my iTunes library will certainly come in handy when I get my iPod, which will be very soon. Whooooooo! (I'm still undecided about which to buy, though--the Mini or the Shuffle.)


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## mindbend (Jul 30, 2005)

Here's a small bit of info people might be interested in since it relates to this thread.

I worked at a bank in the credit/debit card department several years ago. This was right when debit cards were starting to get going (mid nineties).

The public needs to know that debit and credit cards are functionally IDENTICAL. Some businesses also need to know the same. Occasionally you'll be asked if your card is a debit card. IT DOESN'T MATTER!. There is no reason for them to ask this, yet they do it anyway.

The only reason is if you, as the user, wish to enter your pin and avoid signature. Then you want it processed as a debit card. Otherwise, it can process as a credit card just the same (but you have to sign).

Some businesses (though this is far les frequent than it used to be) won't process debit cards. THIS IS ILLEGAL. Any vendor who processed credit cards, by definition processes debit cards, and therefor canot discriminate against debit car users. There may be some small processing fee rate difference, but if so, it's very minimal and not enough that any vendor should be alienating debit cards. If any business you use won't process your debit card (but does process credit cards) you could report them (to the bank that provides their processing equipment and accounts).


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## mindbend (Jul 30, 2005)

And to clarify on someone else's comment. You can indeed dispute a debit card transaction. Rules may be different bank to bank, I'm not sure on the details. Just like you can dispute any transaction on your checking account, a debit card transaction being one of them. Usually it's a 30 day window or something like that. I've been out of banking for a while, so I'm not sure of the nitty gritty.

Many banks offer dispute and transaction protection for debit cards that approach credit card protection. The reason is because debit cards have daily limits. Even if you have a million dollars in your checking account, you are typically limited to under a thousand dollars per day. Some banks will go higher. Most banks will go higher than whatever the default is if you ask them nicely. I was able to get my daily limit quite high since I know the bank pretty well. It's a liability to them, though, so they are only willing to go so high. With a credit card, the liability is with Visa/MC, not with the issuing bank.


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## Amie (Jul 30, 2005)

Exactly. Thanks for clarifying that for people who thought that debit cards were something entirely different.


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## kylesandell (Jul 31, 2005)

I do not think iTunes Music store supports using a debit/checking card, but I do know a way that you _can_ use one with the iTunes Music store. The  iTunes Music store supports PayPal, and PayPal (At http//www.paypal.com) allows you to set up a PayPal account with a debit card. You can transfer money from your checking acount to PayPal, which basically works like a credit card, and use PayPal to pay for your music. Hope this helps!


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## mindbend (Jul 31, 2005)

Did you read what I just said above!?  

A debit card is functionally identical to a credit card. Any place that accepts credit cards accepts debit cards by definition.

Trust me, ITMS accepts debit cards.


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## Amie (Jul 31, 2005)

kylesandell said:
			
		

> I do not think iTunes Music store supports using a debit/checking card, but I do know a way that you _can_ use one with the iTunes Music store. The  iTunes Music store supports PayPal, and PayPal (At http//www.paypal.com) allows you to set up a PayPal account with a debit card. You can transfer money from your checking acount to PayPal, which basically works like a credit card, and use PayPal to pay for your music. Hope this helps!


PayPal is totally unecessary. You can do anything with a debit/quick check card that you can do with a credit card. Which is what I thought in the first place. And now it's been clarified, by both people on this site, another site, and my bank.


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