Armed Forces now have billing address option on Xbox Live

by Griffin McElroy on May 5th 2011 2:00AM

Members of the Armed Forces living in U.S. military bases or stationed overseas used to be faced with an unforeseen hassle when accessing Xbox Live -- due to their roving home, entering billing information could be a genuine pain. Thankfully, the problem has been alleviated, as Major Nelson has announced the arrival of three new options for credit card addresses, which allow the armed forces to register cards using their respective Military States.

These users can update their information now through their console or the billing section of Xbox.com, changing their billing address to AA (Armed Forces of the Americas), AE (Armed Forces Europe) or AP (Armed Forces Pacific). We're big fans of anything Xbox can do to make our military personnel's leisure time as convenient (and, well, leisurely) as possible.

Source: Major Nelson

Tags: armed-forces, microsoft, military, XBL, XBLM, xbox, xbox-live, xbox-live-marketplace

Reader Comments (45)

And here is what I don't get...

Why region lock?

@ShadowXIII

To keep exchange rates between points and money equivalent. Additionally, not all content is licensed to be sold in all regions; so they're legally forced to keep you from accessing content not available in your area.

@Acosta02

I can't really respond to this without somebody pulling the fanboy card so I'll just leave it at that.

@ShadowXIII

Sony does the same thing. You can't purchase things on PSN unless your credit card matches you PSN location. There similar workarounds for both systems.

@Acosta02 - which gave you the ability to purchase stuff using the money cards from Japan if you wished to purchase stuff on the PSN from Japan when you opened an account~ Don't know if the box could do that, but it's possible~~~

@EEdocSnitthu

"There similar workarounds for both systems."

....~~~~~~~~

@Acosta02

Not to mention that all games on XBLA and PSN have to be rated like a retail game.

@Acosta02
Yea, because they can't fix the system and have games cost equal amounts of money (why don't they want games in Latin America to cost a reasonable amount, for example) they lock people out.

It's disgusting and one of the reasons why I don't buy download games and stick to retail.

@Banksyliveraa

The games do cost equal amounts of money, it's just based on the exchange rate from when the system was first created.
Which has changed since then though.

Apart from adjusting point prices with the exchange rate, which apart from like a 4-6 month or yearly adjustment would just become a convoluted mess would mean just setting a flat rate for all currencies.
In which case something might cost 10 pound in the UK and $10 in the US. And that would just be outright stupid, no one would buy from the UK store as it would be far far cheaper to buy it from the US store.
Then you go even further and look at a country like New Zealand or India where the local currency is worth even less.

@Banksyliveraa

Not to mention even if the store was universal, it would still be 800MS points to buy an 800MS point item.

So you'd still be paying the same price for the MS points.

Ooo, that's harsh. I can hear MS studiously pretending they're not seeing Sony's flailing around on the floor while adding new features to XBLA they could have easily added long ago if they cared from all the way over here.

It's like they're taunting Sony. Sony can't even keep the credit card data they already have secure. Microsoft is adding extra features to their credit card options.

@Hoops

Just an FYI, you're an idiot if you think any network is secure. Every network is hackable. From governments to Sony to Comcast to security firms and media sites.

@Punkrawk Bbob
I think it's fair to say that every place can be broken into, but you also have to keep in mind that some places have better security than others.

@Lerkero

And given we know nothing as far as what was required to access this... We're automatically assuming its because Sony didn't have good security, not that the hackers were just really good at what they did? IE - Why can't Sony be one of those places you mentioned with bettery security that still get accessed? Have you attempted to access Sony?

Still uncertain why everyone is quick to hate on Sony instead of the hackers? Why are we blaming the victim and not the assualter?

Microsoft just went up in my books. There's that phrase I thought I'd never use when talking about a massive corporate company...

@eatmewhileirot
All of my Microsoft products break within months! My 360's lasted two years, but my controllers, mics, and chargers keep breaking! D:

Maybe I'm just a bad caretaker of technology.

But this is good, The Armed Forces thing I mean.

@Crimsic

I've purchased over 5 Xboxes and all of them died on me. Three RRODs and two original Xboxes that would overheat and then died too. It's unfortunate 'cause I have a ton of xbox games, so I decided to give Sony a try and then this happens literally weeks after I subscribe to Playstation Plus. It's just bad luck all around.

But as someone who has had to move around a lot because of the military, this change to Xbox Live is well overdue. I'm glad that they were able to alleviate some of the hardships that members of the military have to go through.

its a nice move but but why didn't they do this sooner they must have known that military personnel would be playing while on tour, seems like something that wouldn't take that long to do on MS's side. ah well at least it is there now i suppose.

@Decanus

No joke. I've been working for the Army in Germany for 6 years and just now am I able to get microsoft points without ordering them through Amazon...

@Banksyliveraa
wow what an asshole the rank and file of any countries army don't chose where and when they fight only the top brass do that. I may not be American but i respect any man or woman that wants to protect there home.

@Banksyliveraa I don't even know what to say about the utter stupidity and ignorance of what you just said. Just continue to live under your rock please.

@Banksyliveraa I hope someone punches you in the junk for that

@ bleiss I call first.

That's great news for general european xbox-players as well (esp. german players)

No need for proxys anymore to get IP-restricted North American DLC/demos/games like that GoW 2 AddOn. Now I can just register a fake Armed Forces live-account too get all the good stuff :D

@derdaim

Won't you still need American MS points though? Doesn't seem like it would solve the biggest issue. I mena, unless you're just getting free stuff, demos and the like.

@derdaim

Or you could have just done what everyone else did and made an American account. Content wasn't IP restricted, you just needed an account from the corresponding store.

+1 MS

@Banksyliveraa
Those contracted murderers as you put it have spent a couple centuries protecting the right for you to say absolute soluless shit like that. If you could be grateful for anything, at least try starting there.

Hmmm really the "armed forces" should be doing their job and not spending time worrying about if their going to be able to play a games console when they are away from home!

@herby247

there's a thing called "downtime", look it up you moron.

@herby247 Servicemen of the armed forces get time off just like the rest of us.

@herby247 You are one smart ass. The APO addresses for the military are used for Armed Forces and civilians living in places such as Germany, Italy, Japan, etc. For your information, the military also has downtime. Next time do some research before opening your mouth on topics you do not know anything about.

@herby247
Trust me, we are doing our job. We like relaxing just as much as civilians and videogames help. Besides, being able to play family and friends are great when you're far away from them for months on end.

@herby247

Gee...thanx.

@herby247 It's alright bro, y'know how your manager at Burger King gives you 15-minute breaks and you play Angry Birds? Yeah, similarly, soldiers, military personnel, and civilians living on base also get breaks. Only difference is, they go back to a real job while you pick up a mop for the toilets.

you fake ass banksy

@Banksyliveraa

If it wasn't for those so called "contracted murderers", we'd all be typing in German atm.

@R Planteer

und was ist so schlim dammit?

Microsoft FTW this time around.

@Banksyliveraa
i'm voting you up for that.
pay no attention to these ignorant followers of the military industrial complex.
to who ever said they are protecting our home...yea right
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

This is a good first step for Xbox, but really all they did was allow the use of AP and AE in the state field. Next up figuring out how to let military people outside the US download game addons. Right now I can't download call of duty map packs because my IP address is in Japan and my account is US.

Oh praise Jesus! I've been waiting for this option Since the 360 released. Oh man, my credit card's going to take a hit this next month...

Yeah, except you need a valid APO address on your billing address to make it work...

Armed Forces now have billing address option on Xbox Live

Reader Comments (45)

Posted: May 5th 2011 2:14AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: May 5th 2011 2:36AM Acosta02 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 2:52AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:11AM Acosta02 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:27AM EEdocSnitthu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:38AM Acosta02 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:39AM Acosta02 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 4:31AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:17AM Banksyliveraa said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:13AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:14AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:01AM Oldtaku said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:11AM Hoops said

Posted: May 5th 2011 5:44AM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:29AM Lerkero said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:18AM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:26AM eatmewhileirot said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:06AM Crimsic said

Posted: May 5th 2011 4:27PM Vladeon said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:20AM Decanus said

Posted: May 6th 2011 9:19AM Sheacanbake said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:22AM Decanus said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:28AM Nova17899 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:29AM bleiss said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:57AM Raiderfan said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:43AM derdaim said

Posted: May 5th 2011 7:13AM Acosta02 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:16AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: May 5th 2011 6:55AM hyghwayman said

Posted: May 5th 2011 7:20AM Cavall said

Posted: May 5th 2011 7:55AM herby247 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:32AM PedoJokerBear said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:45AM jivjov said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:58AM kingv84 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:13AM BlackRoyMustang said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:25AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:23PM The Albatross said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:31AM PedoJokerBear said

Posted: May 5th 2011 8:42AM R Planteer said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:03AM HedonisticKai said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:06AM maxxgold said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:59PM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:27PM jingjang said

Posted: May 6th 2011 12:01PM Sheacanbake said

Posted: May 6th 2011 9:20AM Sheacanbake said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW