Unable to download apps without credit card payment

• Wrong, it does not require a payment to download free apps, unless you have a previous purchase you never paid for.
• True, you may still need to have a credit card on file, even though you will not be charged to download free apps. Most of those apps that are available for free download contain in-app purchases that will use the card if you choose one of those optional payment methods. Developers have these in-app purchases so you can see if you would find the app useful and would hopefully find a benefit with the in-app purchase. It costs them both time and money to create those apps and also to continue and update them, and they are not likely to do that if there was no chance they could recoup any of their expenses.

Without a credit card payment? or without a credit card on file?

They are not the same thing.

The App Store requires a registered form of payment, which is used for account validation. Free apps (which I'm assuming you're trying to install) won't actually charge the card, but is still required to validate the transaction.

chibuike74 wrote:

Can't use my iPhone to download app

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

What happens when you enter a valid credit card?

You're not charge to download FREE apps.