Last night I attempted to purchase an app from the App Store on my iPhone 4. The previous day I had purchased an app with no issues, and this time was told that my payment method was invalid. When I clicked 'Continue' to fix my information, everything was correct so I re-inputted my credit card security code and tapped done. No, fail, declined.
I called my bank as I am currently vacationing in Ireland, and if my debit card (the card my iTunes account uses) starts getting declined I will have issues. No, no problems, they had a note in my account that I was traveling, and there are no holds or flags on my spending. She also noted that the iTunes store had requested a verification of $0.99 but had not charged the card for the amount.
I returned to the iTunes store on my iPhone and attempted again to input my credit card information. Still declined. I entered a second credit card. Declined. I opened up iTunes on my laptop (OS X 10.6, iTunes 10) and checked my account information there. No prompt about it being incorrect when I log in, unlike on the iPhone which tells me – even for free apps – that my payment method was declined as soon as I input my password.
I attempted to purchase the app from the store on my computer and sync it to the iPhone. As soon as I click on purchase, I am asked to authenticate. As soon as I authenticate, I am asked to fix my credit card information. As soon as I fix my credit card information, I am returned to the screen I was at previously where I elected to purchase this app (in this case, that screen is the home page of the App Store).
Two different cards, no issues with the bank, no way to get it working in iTunes proper on the desktop or through various attempts in the App Store in the iPhone. Any ideas? Any suggestions?
Best Answer
The "official" way to fix, per Apple, it is to email Apple's iTunes support (iTunesStoreSupport@apple.com), inform them of the problem, and then wait for them to fix it for you on their end. The good news about this solution is that my email was answered very quickly, the support person knew what the issue was and how to fix it, and within a couple days of telling them about the problem they had fixed it and I am up and working again.
After they told me it was fixed, it did take almost exactly 24 hours to take effect, and in the email they told me "wait about 24 hours and try purchasing an app again."
At the time I was having this problem (while traveling abroad) I was in no mood to "wait it out" as other answers have suggested, but since it was handled so capably and promptly by iTunes Support, I wouldn't suggest that as a course of action. It is a known issue for them.