Guide to buying Amazon mp3, ebooks, videos and downloads outside of USA

Update 9 Aug 2012: I found out the common problem is caused by associating a payment method with the shipping address.

This guide will help you bypass Amazon.com geographic restrictions to buy the digital content you want. By digital content, I mean mp3, ebooks, digital movies, video games and other downloads.

This guide is written for anyone who uses Amazon.com outside of USA.

There are a few things you need.

1. USA IP address

Amazon uses your computer's IP address to determine your location. You'll need is a software that gives you a new IP address, specifically one that's located in USA. You'll need that for purchases.

Below are three software that can do the job. Most are not free. But some offer trial versions so you can test if they work.

  • A combination of AlwaysVPN and Tunnelblick. They offer pre-paid usage plans. A typical 2 hour non-HD movie is about 300mb.
  • Hotspot Shield offers yearly/monthly plans, but it's not always USA IP address they assign. So you have to log in and out to check if it's a USA IP address you have.
  • Unblock US - I've not use this before so let me know if it works.

After you install and run the software, it will assign you a new USA IP address.

You can test your IP location at IP Location Finder to see if it's working.

2. Shipping address

On your account page, find the link called "Manage Address Book". Enter a new address, an USA address. It might be easier to use the address for a hotel address, or your favourite USA company.

Do not associate a payment method to that address when asked by Amazon. The reason is so that Amazon won't retrieve your non-USA credit card info.

If you have an existing address with Amazon, just create a new one.

On the address book management page, set that address as your default 1-Click address.

3. Credit Card

This is obviously required for online purchases.

But you can't buy digital products directly with a non-USA issued credit card. So to do that indirectly, you have to use Amazon Gift Certificates which you can buy.

Remember you have no associated payment method with your shipping address? That's to make Amazon use the Gift Certificates automatically during your purchase.

Test to see if it's working

To test to see if your setup is working correctly, just go download some free mp3. After which, you can then proceed to buy Amazon Gift Certificates.

Summary

To conclude, you need an USA IP address, shipping address, and Amazon Gift Certificates.

You still need the USA IP address for viewing movies/shows you've bought, but not for downloading mp3.

Doesn't work? Common Problems

'We could not process your order. The sale of MP3 Downloads is currently available only to US customers located in the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.'

Check to see if you have a non-USA credit card as a payment method for your default shipping address. Your shipping address should not have any payment method associated with it.

After you're done shopping

It is highly recommended you switch back to your original shipping address after you've done shopping. This step will prevent future orders from getting shipped to the wrong address.

If you have further questions, let me know. If this guide works for you, let other readers know too.

The first version of this guide was written in Dec 2009.

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47 Comments

Hi there, If you set your

Hi there,

If you set your billing/mailing address as your actual address though (say in Singapore), won't Amazon catch on to the fact that you're not actually in the US even though you have a US IP address?

I tried using the same tactic

I tried using the same tactic and succeeded in purchasing from amazon.com but when I tried it on iTunes US store, I can't because it required a credit card with a US billing address. What can I do? Use the PayPal system? Can I fool iTunes Store with that?

Don't know why, but after a

Don't know why, but after a few purchases on Amazon, my latest attempt failed and the error message shown was that I was purchasing from outside the US hence I would not have access. Seems like the trick no longer works.

Hi Parka, I wonder is it

Hi Parka, I wonder is it legal to download this way? I understand that using this method we did pay for the songs but the terms, condition and restriction have already stated that only for USA. So are we trying to pay money to get a illegal song. I have this issue in mind because i intend to DL a song for my wedding, my hotel allow to play mp3 that is legal purchase. So if i purchase this way is it still a legal purchase (using address that does not belongs to me and the condition is not met).

Didn't work for me

Didn't work for me either...
I used a proxy from https://www.hidemyass.com/proxy-list/search-3#browsersettings

I got informations about my IP on the web to verify if it was located in US, and it was.

I keep receiving the same annoying message:
We are sorry...

We could not process your order. The sale of MP3 Downloads is currently available only to US customers located in the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Any suggestions?
Thks!

So I tried all the steps u

So I tried all the steps u mentioned and I've even gotten myself an Amazon gift card.
I used Hotspot shield, and even made a check on my IP address - which puts me in Chicago.
However Amazon is still telling me that they can't process my order since Im not physically in the US and not "located in the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. "
This is so messed up.
They let me purchase the gift card but won't let me pay for the album that I want.
And yes, my 1-click address is a US address.
Please help, thanks!

I downloaded an MP3 after

I downloaded an MP3 after buying a $1.00 gift card successfully, afterwards I disconnected hotspot shield. Later I connected hotspot shield again and bought another giftcard $15.00 from amazon to get a cd, but this time I got the message telling me the mp3 downloads are not available outside the US. Do you have any idea/suggestion why it worked so well the first time and not the second? I will try again later anyway and let you know if it works. Thanks for replying so quickly to my previous message.

Hi, I just managed to do

Hi,
I just managed to do it.
The important thing is to delete any previous credit card records that are non US.
that was the problem for me, and after I did it, the gift card credits became the default and thus the purchase was approved.

So the steps are:
1. create a billing address in the US
2. make it the default for 1 click
3. remove any addresses that are not US
4. remove any credit card/payment method that isn't a 100% US.
5. use a US vpn to get a US IP.
6. purchase mp3

I still can't get it to work.

I still can't get it to work. I've deleted all my billing addresses and the credit information that I used to buy the gift card. The only information I have left is the US address and it can still detect that I am not in US. Sigh.

I downloaded an MP3 after

I downloaded an MP3 after buying a $1.00 gift card successfully, afterwards I disconnected hotspot shield. Later I connected hotspot shield again and bought another giftcard $15.00 from amazon to get a cd, but this time I got the message telling me the mp3 downloads are not available outside the US.

Hi,

Hi,
ive been using this for a while,ive recently had the purchases made with an amex card refused but visa and mastercard still work.All were US credit cards but I recently have had the bills sent to non US address as ive been living abroad for over a year.I think the prob with amex is that verify that card number corresponds to cardholder EXACT name AND given billing address..I know for sure about the name part from when i worked retail in US, if you gave the name as JIM SMITH as the guys name on the amex card was JIM .A. Smith it wasnt approved..and that was "back in the old days" when we had to call in each Amex purchase for an pproval number by PHONE.So maybe the probs some peaople are having come from the various credit cards used ?Id stay from amex anyway ;)

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