App country region settings

JC 2015 wrote:

Hi,

I'm an American working in Japan. I'm having trouble with downloading an app that is restricted to Japan. The technician at Softbank says I need to change the payment address settings to here in Japan. Since my credit card has a US address, won't that present a problem? Please advise before I change this address?

Thanks,

Jeff

Yes, it would present several problems.

Changing the billing address of your payment method, will not change the county for your Apple ID.

It will also likely error out, as address requirements for Japan, would be different to the US band the information you enter for a Japanese address will likely not verify with US standards expected in the Apple ID billing address form. Also a US payment would not accept a Japan billing address. It won't really verify like that.

If you absolutely need to change countries, then you will need to get a Japan based payment method you can use, and follow the steps here ➡️ Change your Apple ID country or region - Apple Support

Do note the requirements in the "What to do before you change your country or region" in the support document linked above.

What to do before you change your country or region

• Spend any balance remaining on your Apple ID. If you're not sure whether you have a balance, check your Apple Account balance.
• Cancel your subscriptions and wait until the end of the subscription period. 
• Wait for any memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals, or Season Passes to complete, and wait for any pending store credit refunds to process. You can cancel a pre-order.
• Make sure that you have a payment method for your new country or region. See what payment methods you can use.

Hi JC,

You are right about your concerns. These are things that Apple currently actually says:

Payment methods that you can use with your Apple ID - Apple Support

Used to say this but no longer does: "Make sure that the billing address for your payment method matches the billing address for your Apple ID. In some cases, you might need to call your bank or financial institution to authorize international or online purchases. You might also need to confirm that the mobile number associated with your payment method is correct."

Now all I can find about this is:

If your payment method is declined in the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support

"You might need to ask your financial institution to allow international purchases on your debit or credit card."

That said it it is generally understood that the first quote still essentially applies and you might have problems using your US address card on an ID set to Japan.

You're welcome. Glad I could help.