How Can You Buy Paid Android Apps In Thailand With No Credit Card?

[Sam Drucker]

I've done some looking, but don't see an obvious answer.

I have a Thai friend, and she knows of a few paid apps she wants on her android phone. But she has no credit cards. Is there a way she can get them?

Seeing how she would need to buy them under her own GMail/Google account, I don't see how I could even buy the apps for her using my card or account.

In a country that is predominated by the pre-paid method of phone service, is there an equivalent avenue for purchasing apps?

[tw25rw]

A prepaid debit card?

There are also online cards, such as through Entropay, but you need a card to pay into them I think.

There might also be a voucher system, as there is on Itunes, but I haven't seen it.

[beano2274]

Sorry but every Thai I know has a credit card or two or even more.

How about Paypal could that be used? (am not sure)

[monty]

Google check out works perfectly fine with my Bkk bank be1st debit card...

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Thaivisa Connect App

[Pib]

This Link gives some info on subject....there is also info on the Play Google pages.

If following the method at the Link it appears you would be loading your google account info onto the GF's phone (you are treating her phone as if its yours)...might want to be there to add and delete the account from the GF's phone after she downloads/installs the Paid App. Otherwise, a breakup with the GF would leave her with your account info loaded on her phone.

Edit: After posting this, I thought I would give it a try. Loaded my google account onto the wife's phone, logged in under Play Google with my account, download a Paid App I bought last week, it installed/worked OK, I then deleted my google account from the wife's phone.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Pib

[Sam Drucker]

Edit: After posting this, I thought I would give it a try. Loaded my google account onto the wife's phone, logged in under Play Google with my account, download a Paid App I bought last week, it installed/worked OK, I then deleted my google account from the wife's phone.

Thanks for testing this. I viewed that link too that you mentioned before posting the original question. Seemed like too many possible unknown implications if I were to temporarily switch her phone to my google account, purchase and install the apps, then switch it back to her original account. Just curious, did you happen to try the apps you installed on your wife's phone after you restored it back to her original Google account? I can imagine a few scenarios:

1) It doesn't work.

2) It does work, but will never be recognized by Google under "My Accounts"; never update, never be "restorable" from Google or installable on another android device (tablet) she may later obtain, or a subsequent phone. In other words . . . compromised.

Earlier, tw25rw suggested prepaid debit cards. I've seen those at retailers in the States. But I can't recall seeing them here in Thailand. I may be looking at the wrong places though, or not recognizing them for what they are because I can't read Thai. Anybody know if they are sold here? If so, what retailers, and what brand names are they using (like Visa, Mastercard, Aeon, etc.)

[Pib]

Everything continued to work fine. I didn't replace her account when I added my account in order to do the download...basically, she had two google accounts running on her phone for a short while...her's and mine. After adding my google account and then firing-up Google Play I pressed Menu and then Accounts. Two accounts displayed to choose from, hers and mine....I selected my account, it logged onto my account, and I downloaded the previously paid-for App. It installed and worked fine...the App works on both our phones...I tested the App on both phones. I then deleted my google account from her phone.

I then logged onto my Google Play account via my laptop just so I would have a bigger screen to more easily view things....the paid app I downloaded is still there along with all my other free and paid apps....I don't see any changes/anything unusual. I then logged onto the wife's Google Play account....all looked normal. Everything is normal/working on both accounts/phones as far as I and the wife can see. Also used the wife's account to download free app to her phone after I had deleted my account.

While adding my google account I did ensure it was set not to sync, but it defaulted to not-syncing during the add so I didn't have to manually set it to not sync during the adding of my account. I could have setup it to sync after the add, but I didn't want to take the chance of accidentally merging contacts, etc.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Pib

[thaicbr]

Or if you dont want to do that just tell her to get the kasikorn bank virtual credit card ( k- internet shopping card) it works like a credit card online but the money debits directly in real time from your account. Its virtual so no physical card. Its great

sent from my Wellcom A90+

[Sam Drucker]

Everything continued to work fine. I didn't replace her account when I added my account in order to do the download...basically, she had two google accounts running on her phone for a short while...her's and mine. After adding my google account and then firing-up Google Play I pressed Menu and then Accounts. Two accounts displayed to choose from, hers and mine....I selected my account, it logged onto my account, and I downloaded the previously paid-for App. It installed and worked fine...the App works on both our phones...I tested the App on both phones. I then deleted my google account from her phone.

I then logged onto my Google Play account via my laptop just so I would have a bigger screen to more easily view things....the paid app I downloaded is still there along with all my other free and paid apps....I don't see any changes/anything unusual. I then logged onto the wife's Google Play account....all looked normal. Everything is normal/working on both accounts/phones as far as I and the wife can see. Also used the wife's account to download free app to her phone after I had deleted my account.

While adding my google account I did ensure it was set not to sync, but it defaulted to not-syncing during the add so I didn't have to manually set it to not sync during the adding of my account. I could have setup it to sync after the add, but I didn't want to take the chance of accidentally merging contacts, etc.

That's some very good information to know Pib. I did not know (and did not expect) that two android accounts could co-exist on one phone! Doing a Google search, there are numerous hits that expand on this topic.

[Pib]

Everything continued to work fine. I didn't replace her account when I added my account in order to do the download...basically, she had two google accounts running on her phone for a short while...her's and mine. After adding my google account and then firing-up Google Play I pressed Menu and then Accounts. Two accounts displayed to choose from, hers and mine....I selected my account, it logged onto my account, and I downloaded the previously paid-for App. It installed and worked fine...the App works on both our phones...I tested the App on both phones. I then deleted my google account from her phone.

I then logged onto my Google Play account via my laptop just so I would have a bigger screen to more easily view things....the paid app I downloaded is still there along with all my other free and paid apps....I don't see any changes/anything unusual. I then logged onto the wife's Google Play account....all looked normal. Everything is normal/working on both accounts/phones as far as I and the wife can see. Also used the wife's account to download free app to her phone after I had deleted my account.

While adding my google account I did ensure it was set not to sync, but it defaulted to not-syncing during the add so I didn't have to manually set it to not sync during the adding of my account. I could have setup it to sync after the add, but I didn't want to take the chance of accidentally merging contacts, etc.

That's some very good information to know Pib. I did not know (and did not expect) that two android accounts could co-exist on one phone! Doing a Google search, there are numerous hits that expand on this topic.

After playing with it some more, I re-entered my Googe account on the wife's phone, set my account not to sync (it defaults to no-sync when adding the account) in her phone so my contacts and her contacts don't get merged/synced together and so my gmail email don't download/sync to her phone. When I look at my Google Play account I see both her and my phone listed in my Google Play account...and it shows the date of the last sync with Google Play for each phone. I can select which one to review the Apps installed and also selected which phone to install Apps to...to include installing again already paid for Apps. Sweet.

For now and for further testing I'll just leave my account loaded on her phone along with her google account....her account will remain set to full sync while mine will be set not to sync. But of course my google account on my phone will remain set to sync.

And even after removing my google account from her phone when I log onto Google Play I can still see the Apps for her and my phones, although you can set Google Play to hide/only display whatever phone you want, and "I think" you can actually delete any phone being shown (like you no longer have the phone/sold it)...there is a setting in where you can "cancel" a device which I'm assuming just deletes the Apps info from your Google Play account but it wouldn't bother Apps installed on the phone.

But I would NOT recommend adding your google account to another phone unless you own/control the phone (like one is your personal phone and one is your work phone) or the other phone(s) belong to immediate family members (wife/kids)...maybe even some trusted friends if they can't afford to buy their own Apps (then again if they can't afford a few dollars App they shouldn't have a smartphone either). With your google account loaded on their phone they could send/receive email from your gmail account by activating sync, turn sync on and mess up/merge/delete your contacts, and I expect buy Apps. Fortunately, my wife wouldn't have a clue how to turn sync on and off....her usage of the phone pretty much comes down to just calling within Thailand, taking pictures, and listening to music on the phone. And to play it really safe it's probably best just to add the account when needed, download the already paid for Paid App, and then deleted your account from the other phone unless you are in total control/you are the only one using the other phone.

[lomatopo]

I know many Thai people who successfully use Kasikorn Cyber Banking to purchase paid applications on the Google Play Store.

http://www.kasikornb...berBanking.aspx

In some cases you can contact the publisher directly, arrange payment, receive a license. You can give this license to your Thai friend. I did this for Titanium Back-up Pro.

Edited July 26, 2012 by lomatopo