Trouble adding my Malian bank card to my Apple Account as a payment method

Here I have a different interpretation based on what Apple itself says, versus the absolute which is widely accepted as standard lore for this community.

If you are trying to use a payment method from another country you may encounter problems. Apple nowhere states outright your payment method must come from the same country as that to which your ID is set, but some contributors to the forum (none of us work for Apple) say—without any substantiation on Apple's part—this is the case. In fact what Apple says about international payment methods is found in If your payment method is declined in the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support where it says: "You might need to ask your financial institution to allow international purchases on your debit or credit card". It could be there is some other unstated requirement that raises problems such as the billing address for the card must be in the same country as your account country even if the issuer is a foreign bank. Apple does not say but usually it is easiest to just use a card from the same country as your Apple Account setting.

・Finally, note that the document only says which methods _are_ acceptable. Apparently certain types (usually a credit or debit card) _must_ also be present under certain situations such as when a subscription is involved.