Are you tired of subscribing to Apple Music with your Nigerian ATM card, only to be met with error messages and frustration? If Nigerian ATM cards have been cramping your style and tearing you away from your favourite top 10 apple music in Nigeria today, then this article is for you because everyone hates to get the message “payment card declined” for their transaction.
Nigeria is home to over a score of traditional banks, with an increasing number in the emergence of neobanks and other fintech institutions that issue ATM cards preloaded in Naira denomination. You can use these payment cards across the nook and cranny of Nigeria, but you are likely unable to use these ATM cards for international transactions. Why?
One of the international transactions that you can not use your Nigerian ATM card for is making an Apple Music subscription. This is a global payment that Apple users make to access Apple Music, the world’s top music streaming platform.
You should note that the inability to use your Nigerian ATM card is not a function of the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians. Still, it hinges on the fact that it is an international platform with limited payment options in the availability of the major global currencies.
In the sequel of this discourse, this article highlights the reasons one might encounter this issue and how to use any of the alternative payment methods to pay your Apple Music subscription.
Why Nigerian ATM Cards Don’t Work for Apple Music
Apple Music is a top music streaming platform available for users, including Nigerians to download and listen to various genres of music (both trending and old songs). This streaming platform is one of Nigeria’s most used music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Audiomack. For every iPhone user, there is Apple Music which has a vast library of songs and albums.
However, many Nigerians still have their Nigerian payment cards rejected upon subscribing to the service. It is a known fact that a preponderance of Nigerian debit cards have a monthly dollar limit of between $20 and $50, and an Apple Music subscription is considerably lower than the monthly dollar limit. So this needs to beg the question of why you can pay for Apple Music service with your Nigerian payment card.
Apple Music subscription varies with the package you choose. For instance, in Nigeria, a student’s Apple Music subscription costs N550, an individual subscription fee is N1,000, and the family package is N1,500. But your access to different music content is a function of your package to get the premium content.
The digitisation of every field of culture expects you to make an Apple Music subscription using your ATM card from any Nigerian bank at your comfort. Still, this narrative is invalid and not only peculiar to Apple Music.
What Are The Challenges Faced By Nigerian ATM Cards?
It is common knowledge that possessing a Nigerian payment card does not validate its all-encompassing use. So let’s look at some of the pitfalls of our naira-denominated cards in Nigeria.
1. Lack Of Support For International Transactions
You can not use most Nigerian ATM cards for international transactions because these cards are essentially Naira payment cards. This means you can only use the cards to pay for products and services within Nigeria and its neighbouring countries. But a move across the Atlantic can pose some difficulty in using them.
2. Restrictions On Online Purchases
This regional restriction means you cannot use your Nigerian ATM cards to buy products in international stores. Because of the large customer base of these online marketplaces spread worldwide, a generally accepted payment method invalidates the use of Nigerian payment cards.
These online platforms include Amazon, Apple Store, Instagram, Facebook, and whatnot.
3. Currency Conversion Issue
This is another issue faced by using Nigerian ATM cards because of the varying accurate exchange rates in the international market. The naira currency does not have a fixed value at both the stock and parallel market, hence why there will be a problem with establishing the best rate for currency conversion.
This is why most platforms do not support Nigerian payment cards, which many see as inappropriate for international transactions like Apple Music subscriptions.
Alternatives to Nigerian ATM Cards for Apple Music Subscription
There is a glimmer of hope for Nigerians who cannot use Nigerian ATM cards to pay for Apple Music subscriptions, as there are alternative payment methods to subscribe successfully.
1. Virtual Cards
Virtual cards are preloaded in international currencies like US dollars, British pounds, and Euros. You can easily use a virtual card denominated in US dollars to pay for Apple Music even while you reside in Nigeria.
There are some top virtual dollar card providers in Nigeria, and you can use their virtual cards to make payments for your Apple Music subscription. This includes Chipper Cash, GoMoney, PayDay, etc.
Pros Of Virtual Cards
- Valid for both local and international transactions
- Block card immediately after suspicion of a data breach
- Available in international currencies
Cons Of Virtual Cards
- Unable to make cash withdrawals from ATM
- Virtual cards expire after some time
- Difficulty in getting a refund for payments made by virtual cards
How To Set Up A Virtual Card Payment For Your Apple Music Subscription
- Open the Settings app
- Click on your name at the top of the screen
- Click on “Media & Purchases”
- Click on “View Account” and sign in with your Apple ID
- Click on “Manage Payments”
- Click on “Payment method.”
- Enter your virtual card details (your name, card expiration date, and CVV)
- Click on “Done”
How To Make Payment For Apple Music Subscription With Virtual Card
- Open Apple Music on your device
- Click on your image at the right corner of your screen
- Click on “Manage Subscription”
- Click on “See All Plans”
- Choose your preferred plan
- Click on “Subscribe” and sign in with your Apple ID
2. Gift Cards
Another way to pay for your Apple Music subscription is with Apple gift cards or iTunes gift cards. Apple, the parent brand for Apple Music and Apple/iTunes gift cards, issued these cards. Therefore, this takes a semblance of putting the round peg in the round hole as it fits perfectly. In this regard, you can use either Apple or iTunes gift cards.
Apple gift cards in physical and digital forms have different denominations. You can buy an Apple gift card on notable platforms like Prestmit to access Apple music content without stress. We are one of the best gift card trading platforms in Nigeria and Ghana, and you can be sure of buying your Apple gift cards at our best prices.
Pros Of Gift Cards
- Easy to use
- Available in different denominations
- No expiration date
Cons Of Gift Cards
- Not transferable after redemption
- No additional benefits
How To Make Apple Music Subscription With Apple Gift Cards
- Open the Music app
- Click on your profile in the right corner of your screen
- Click on “Redeem a gift card or code.”
- Enter your gift card code or click on “Use Camera” to scan the code
- Click on “Redeem”
- Open the Apple Music app on your device
- Click on “For You” at the bottom of your screen
- Select your preferred subscription plan
- Choose your Apple ID balance as your payment method
3. Credit Cards
These cards of Nigerian central banks enable you to make international transactions, including Apple Music subscriptions in Nigeria. Some of these tested and trusted credit cards that support your access to Apple service are the UBA Naira MasterCard and the Stanbic IBTC MasterCard, available for their respective customers.
Pros Of Credit Cards
- Convenience of use
- Customer Protection
Cons Of Credit Cards
- Relatively high fees
- Interest charges
How To Make Apple Music Subscriptions With Credit Cards
- Open the settings app
- Click on your name
- Click “Media & Purchases” and “View Account.”
- Click on “Manage Payments”
- Click on “Add Payment Method”
- Click on the “Credit Card” option
- Enter your card details
- Click on “Done”
Conclusion
Apple Music is a great platform to enjoy lovely tunes as it transcends time and borders. But it would be best if you made monthly subscriptions to have unlimited access to the streaming platform. Getting it right is essential in Nigeria, as you can not use Nigerian ATM cards.
Therefore, exploring other options like gift cards, virtual cards, and credit card payments is essential to enable you to make payments for Apple Music subscriptions in Nigeria.
If you need a gift card to enable you to subscribe to Apple Music, Prestmit is here to take your needs with our class array gift cards, especially Apple gift cards and iTunes gift cards that you can use for your subscription.