What can you buy with an App Store & iTunes gift card?

App Store & iTunes cards are a great gift idea – for yourself, friends or family. Especially because you can spend them in more ways than you think. So, what can you buy with an iTunes card? Here are some of our suggestions.

1. Pay for Apple Music

Apple Music is a subscription-based music streaming service. It allows you to stream and download over 70 million songs. You can also enjoy podcasts, curated lists and exclusive content across your devices. Your App Store & iTunes gift card is a great way to pay for your Apple Music subscription. Just redeem your gift card, so its balance shows in your Apple ID.

Our tip: You can share your Apple Music subscription with up to 6 family members. All you need to do is set up Family Sharing and opt for an Apple Music Family Plan. You can set up Family Sharing from an iOS or Android device.

2. Pay for Netflix, YouTube Premium and other subscriptions

Your App Store & iTunes gift card is full of possibilities, also beyond the App Store. For example, you can use it to buy subscriptions that aren’t Apple-related – such as your Netflix subscription or YouTube Premium subscription.

To pay for your Netflix subscription via an App Store & iTunes gift card, first update your iTunes billing information to make sure you’re being billed for Netflix via iTunes. You can do that in the Settings section of your Apple device. Done? You’ll now be able to use your Apple ID balance to pay for your Netflix subscription.

Wondering if you can pay for YouTube Premium with an iTunes gift card? Yes, if you sign up using the YouTube app on an iOS device and then pay with your Apple ID balance. Until recently, the same was possible for YouTube TV subscriptions. However, as of March 2021, YouTube TV has stopped supporting Apple’s in-app billing system.

Good to know: For other app subscriptions, you just need to redeem your App Store & iTunes gift card. Once you do that, you can use your Apple ID balance for in-app purchases. That’s essentially what app subscriptions are.

3. Buy games with your App Store & iTunes gift card

Your App Store & iTunes gift card can be your way into gaming without investing in a console. More and more popular games are available in remastered versions specifically for mobile. For example, Minecraft, GTA San Andreas, and NBA 2K20.

Mobile versions are generally cheaper than the full-blown Xbox or PS4/PS5 game. So they’re great to give you a taste of a game before you buy it for your console. Not to mention, they can keep you entertained when travelling or away from home.

Our tip: Buying mobile games with your App Store & iTunes gift card is also a smart way to control your gaming spending. If you set your Apple ID balance as a payment method in the App Store, you can only spend as much as your current gift card balance.

4. Buy films or ebooks with your App Store & iTunes gift card

Make sure you’ve redeemed your App Store & iTunes gift card, so it shows in your Apple ID balance. Now you can buy or rent films on the Apple TV app. If you’re planning to rent a film, it’s good to know that you have 30 days to start watching it. As soon as you’ve started watching your rental, it’s yours for another 48 hours.

When it comes to ebooks, you can happily spend your Apple ID balance on the huge Apple Books catalogue.

Good to know: Whereas ebooks on the Google Play Store can be viewed on Nook and Sony eReader devices, Apple Books is more exclusive. It aims to combine the book shopping and reading experience into one platform. That’s why ebooks purchased on Apple Books can only be read on iOS devices.

Can you buy an App Store & iTunes gift card for someone in another country?

App Store & iTunes gift cards are country-specific. So, if you purchase a gift card in the UK, you can’t redeem it in another country.

However, there is a way to send someone abroad an App Store & iTunes gift card. Global platforms such as recharge.com make it possible to buy a digital App Store & iTunes gift card from anywhere in the world, to be used anywhere else. Just make sure you indicate where the card will be used when purchasing. Then you know you’ll receive the correct code. Gift away!

Things you can’t buy with your App Store & iTunes gift card

What are the limitations of an App Store & iTunes gift card?

First of all, you can’t pay for gifts or gift cards using your Apple ID balance. Instead, you’d have to use an alternative payment method. So, whereas it’s possible to gift an album on iTunes or an ebook from Apple Books, you’d have to pay for that gift with a ‘classic’ payment method, such as a credit or debit card.

Another thing you can’t do with your Apple ID balance is let your family spend it. Unlike the Google Pay balance, you cannot set your Apple ID balance as your family payment method.

And last but not least, you can’t buy Apple Store products with an App Store & iTunes gift card. For that, you’d need to use an Apple Store gift card.

Ready for some entertainment? Buy your App Store & iTunes gift card in seconds.