Live outside the U.S.? Here's a few alternatives to Android Market & Amazon Appstore

[Blackwidowman]

I have one major problem with most of these sites:

When I buy an App that is supposed to cost me say £1, as I live in the UK; I find that I end up paying £ 1.25 to the bank because they treat it as "International Transaction" and they are charging a fee.

This has two major problems as such:

1. I am discouraged from buying any Apps online.
2. I am paying into the Bank more fee than I am paying to the App developer - now this is not fair at all.

I would be happy if some organisation comes forward and sets up its business so that it gets treated as an 'on-line transaction' but would not attract this "International Transaction Fee". I had high hopes with Amazon.co.uk - but they are not even selling their Apps outside US - so they are no good.

Any such service? It could even be so that I buy a bunch of them in one go, the seller treats all of them as one transaction totalling say £10 or £15 or £20 and the bank would still charge £1.25 - that is better than paying 1.25 to bank for an app that costs £ 1.

It is an absolute outrage to pay £1.25 to the bank while I buy an app that costs £ 1. The App developers are subsidising the banks - after all those tax payers Pounds being spent on propping up these banks they want more from us.

Change payment methods, use a pre-paid credit card

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[Jeffrey]

Change payment methods, use a pre-paid credit card

Or you can look into a VPN there are some free services check it out

[mpease]

Perhaps Paypal wopuld be a partial solution. I don't have a credit card and there are many places that require credit cards, but a few will accept Paypal and that mostly cuts the bank out of the equation.

[vlbaindoor]

Change payment methods, use a pre-paid credit card

Even the Credit Cards can impose similar levy - simply because all these transactions are treated as international transactions. The money is transferred between someone in one country to someone in another country.

Some credit cards do allow such 'foreign' transactions - but not all at least it is so here in UK.

[Xelstyle]

Couldn't find this through my previous searches, but seeing as Canada is next door to the US, do similar restrictions apply in both needing to the other alternatives as well as possible additional fees?

[vlbaindoor]

Couldn't find this through my previous searches, but seeing as Canada is next door to the US, do similar restrictions apply in both needing to the other alternatives as well as possible additional fees?

I don't think how close you are to a country makes any difference at all.

Most banks have automated systems and it is one of their IT systems that is doing the 'decision making'.

I would say that as markets become mature, business models would address the issues concerned and some company would probably spring up in the country concerned which handles the transactions so that the bank sees transactions within the country and this company would then handle transactions with the actual developers etc - but this does mean these middle companies have to have a small cut to sustain them.

So far all these companies I have seen seem to be based in USA - it is time that some similar companies crop up elsewhere.

[mpease]

I don't think how close you are to a country makes any difference at all.

Most banks have automated systems and it is one of their IT systems that is doing the 'decision making'.

I would say that as markets become mature, business models would address the issues concerned and some company would probably spring up in the country concerned which handles the transactions so that the bank sees transactions within the country and this company would then handle transactions with the actual developers etc - but this does mean these middle companies have to have a small cut to sustain them.

So far all these companies I have seen seem to be based in USA - it is time that some similar companies crop up elsewhere.

I live in Canada and there are also problems shopping accross borders, though not quite as bad as you describe.

Here, Paypal accounts can be linked to a credit card and or a bank account. Mine is linked to a bank account and allows me to carry a balance from which to make purchases. I am not charged a fee unless there is a currency change and then it is only a couple of percent. One transaction at the bank, many purchases.

Also, if one registers for an account at SlideMe, the first alternative in the thread, one can put money in an account WALLET, which means only one credit card or PayPal transaction for a number of purchases.

Hope this helps.

[Maniac]

Thanks for the list, at least now I will have something to look at. Do I assume that apps are not exclusive to only 1 vendor but can be sold through a spectrum of them.

You know what I find really weird about the way the amazon app store works ? If I wanted to buy an app for my sister who lives in the U.S Atlanta area ... I can't

[Renaissance]

I am in Australia can i get these here

[wicked]

Just found this app posted on one of our other sites.

Market Unlocker