# Is there a way to make anonymous, limited purchases by credit card?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2006, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145 "2006-05-25T08:17:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![madmanjeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@madmanjeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmanjeb)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145/21 "2013-01-21T23:25:20Z")

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Ok, a bunch of skeptics. Pardon me for trying to help out.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145/22 "2013-01-21T23:51:18Z")

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> [@madmanjeb](#):
>
> Ok, a bunch of skeptics. Pardon me for trying to help out.

Anybody who is not a skeptic deserves everything that happens to them.

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**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145/23 "2013-01-21T23:53:23Z")

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Jeb, your “help” really does come across as spamming, which is very badly received on any reasonably well-run message board. Getting snotty about it just makes you look less like a sincere poster and more like a spammer.

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145/24 "2013-01-22T00:12:54Z")

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There’s loads of porn of all descriptions on free 'tube sites nowadays anyway, rendering the OP moot.

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**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-make-anonymous-limited-purchases-by-credit-card/358145/25 "2013-01-22T15:17:52Z")

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When I bought my first iPad there was no Canadian App Store yet, an they wanted a (US address) credit card to set up an account. I went to the local Canadian drug store, and purchased a pre-paid Visa card for $50. No questions asked, paid cash. Made up a USA address for the cardfor the Apple App Store (My impression, it validates ANY name / address). Quick, name a valid USA zip code - does it figure in a TV show title? Worked fine.

(Only problem, now I have some apps from the US store, some from the Canadian store. makes updates a pain.)

I have heard that now they want personal details (or at least, in the USA?) since the cards are becoming like anonymous currency for money laundering etc. Of course, yes they are debit cards and good luck sorting out fraudulent transactions, and you cannot reload them, but they do the job.

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