Changing Country for iTunes Account

[MJedi]

Hello all,

I'm giving my dad my iPad 1 and I would like to get some apps for him before I give it to him. He doesn't have an iTunes account. He lives in the Philippines, and they have an iTunes App Store there.

Will the following plan work?
- Create his iTunes account, using my US billing address
- Buy apps
- Change the country in his iTunes account, using his Philippine billing address

Will the apps that I downloaded using the US billing address still work? If he needs to re-download the apps, will they be available to him?

Thanks!

 

[MJedi]

Anyone?

 

[cbronfman]

Apps will always be linked with the account that purchased them

Any purchase from iTunes - apps, books, whatever - are linked with the account that purchased them. When your Dad wants to update an app downloaded on your account, he will need to enter the PW and username for your account. (I downloaded an audiobook from the iTunes Canada store and needed to enter the username and PW to listen to it on my iPhone etc.). Purchases are linked to the purchasing account.

Your Dad will be thrilled. Don't let the legal constraints change your mind.

 

[MJedi]

Any purchase from iTunes - apps, books, whatever - are linked with the account that purchased them. When your Dad wants to update an app downloaded on your account, he will need to enter the PW and username for your account. (I downloaded an audiobook from the iTunes Canada store and needed to enter the username and PW to listen to it on my iPhone etc.). Purchases are linked to the purchasing account.

Your Dad will be thrilled. Don't let the legal constraints change your mind.

Thanks for the reply.

What I plan to do is create an account for him and use his account to download the apps. I'll use my US address first. Then I'll change the country of his account to the Philippine address before giving the iPad to him

But from what you're saying, it does not matter what country the app was downloaded originally since it is linked to the account. Am I correct?

 

[cbronfman]

Sort of

There are very solid bright lines between the different iTunes stores so I'm not certain that your Dad could have an address in the Philippines and update apps purchased in the iTunes store in the US. The only way I can access content in the Canadian iTunes store is to use my brother in law's email (which is linked to a CA address etc.). So the apps you purchase for your Dad must be forever linked with the US account. He could create another account when he gets back to the Philippines with a different user name. But he'll have to use the username and login (and therefore implicit US address) to update or download the US purchased apps again. He cannot have access to the US iTunes store with a Philippine address. But he can use the username etc. you created and keep it linked with the US account and establish another account linked with his address in the Philippines.

Is what I write clear?

 

[MJedi]

Yeah, that's a good explanation. Thank you.

I guess the solution with the least complications is to just create his iTunes account with his Philippine address. I was hoping I could gift him some apps, (since gifting only works between US accounts, if I read it right) but I guess it's not a big deal. Plus, he will not want to deal with the 2 iTunes accounts, and remember which one he used to buy what app.

 

[cbronfman]

It used to be easier - but not anymore. I've tried to find ways around it - like using a gift card, but you have to log in to use it and doing so they can tell where you live and will automatically route you to that iTunes store. You can browse in other country's stores, but not purchase without having a separate account to do so.

Perhaps go to the Philippines iTunes store and see if some of the apps you were going to give him are there - and get him a gift card with suggestions???