Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Holidays
So you just got an iTunes gift card -- now what?
All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you found under the tree today. Happy holidays!
Hopefully a lot of you reached into your Christmas stockings and pulled out a lump of coal fully-loaded iTunes gift card. In case you haven't been presented with one of these gems before, they come in denominations of $10, $25, $50, and $100 in the USA -- check your country's Apple website for the availability of cards in your local currency.
Turning this card into tunes or iPhone apps is simple:
1) Check the back of the card first. If you see a list of numbers and letters instead of the words "Scratch off gently with coin", then your card has been used before. Take the giver off of your Christmas list for next year.
2) If the scratch-off material is intact, grab a coin and gently scratch off the material to reveal the code.
3) Launch iTunes. Make sure you're logged into your iTunes account and not somebody else's.
4) In the upper right part of the iTunes screen you'll see an area marked "Quick Links" (see screenshot at left). Click on the "Redeem" link.
5) You're almost there. A screen appears that will ask you to enter the code exactly as it appears. Note that if you mistype even one number or letter, the card will be rejected, so make sure you're reading the letters and number properly.
6) Click the "Redeem" button. You may want to read the Terms & Conditions, but I seriously doubt it. There's more legalese in that document than you'd find in a bank bailout plan.
7) If everything has gone as planned at this point, you'll have a credit in your account. Exactly how much money you have to play with will be listed just to the left of your iTunes account name in the upper right side of the iTunes window.
8) Buy tunes and apps until you're filled with the joy of the holidays!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt said 12:55PM on 12-25-2008
** correction!
"...denominations of $10, $25, $50, and $100 in the USA..."
The picture of the giftcard is $15?
Apple doesn't make $10 giftcards for iTunes. They start at $15 and go up!!
-Matt
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Scott said 1:02PM on 12-25-2008
Also I do not believe you can buy Apps for the iPhone with a gift card! At least I have not figured how to do it.
Kevin Gass said 1:29PM on 12-25-2008
Wrong. They do in fact make $10 gift cards, as I have gotten 2 so far. and yes you can use the gift cards to buy apps, as they credit. So please trust the word of a TUAW blogger, as they know more about Mac products then you....clearly
Galley said 10:20PM on 12-25-2008
They sell $10 cards in packs of three.
Matt said 1:35PM on 12-25-2008
"as they know more about Mac products then you....clearly"
That was rude. I never put anyone down in my comment. 'Tiss the season to be jolly I guess!
Well, regardless, they do make a $15 giftcard, which was not included in the
"$10, $25, $50, and $100 in the USA..."
Not that big of a deal...
But whatever! Merry Xmas!
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Matt said 1:37PM on 12-25-2008
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/giftcards/itunes/gallery?
Why don't I see $10?
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Aviel said 5:20PM on 12-25-2008
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8753636&type=product&id=1218033631188
Does that count?
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rkho said 6:18PM on 12-25-2008
$10 ones are mostly sold in packs of three at the Apple Store and other retail outlets.
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Dax said 10:26PM on 12-25-2008
Remember these instructions are only valid for the US store, read the FAQ carefully for your country's specific store...
I know in Canada you **CANNOT** use an itunes gift card for the Apps store, only music and videos...
:-(
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Jared said 11:08PM on 12-25-2008
Do you have to use desktop when buying apps with gift card?
And once I redeem the gift card it won't charge my credit card until I
Use all the money on gift card?
Thanks
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Klink258 said 12:22PM on 12-26-2008
I have a different way of doing it.
1. Sell cards to other people for cash.
2. Use the money to buy DRM-Free from Amazon.
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Joseph said 2:24PM on 12-27-2008
In Canada, I've purchased iTunes gift cards worth:
$20, $25 and $50.
I have the latter of the three in front of me and the $25 one is pink and $50 is blue. The pink one isn't detachable like a card though - like the blue one is.
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Debbie Lee said 4:39PM on 12-27-2008
Bought our daughter a $30.00 Itunes gift card which also included a free 1 yr. subscription gift card at the bottom of it for Rolling Stone Magazine. We put in www.rollingstone.com/itunesoffer just like the card said, but it says the address can't be found. What's up with that? Please help!!!!
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Carey Willis said 3:38AM on 12-28-2008
Hey Debbie,
When I went to the page you sent it took me to this site here. Which seemed to be a valid website and offered a place to enter the 10-digit code.
https://securesite.rollingstone.com/iTunesOffer/
I hope that helps! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :)
PS- Yeah no apps with gift cards in the Canada store as of now, which is really sucky! I hope that comes as an option fairly soon.
Bigharpo said 9:12PM on 12-29-2008
hey,
I have a $30 gift card, i want to buy something thats $33.99, will Itunes automatically use the gift card and i just pay the extra $3.99 or because the item is over $30 will it just be payed straight to my credit card and not use the gift card at all?
thanks, any help much appreciated
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katz said 5:36PM on 1-02-2009
I bought my daughter an itunes 50 dollar itunes card for Christmas and it will allow her to download on her computer but it locks it so she cannot put it on her Zune. Does anyone know if this is compatible or not? Is it just for Ipods?
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alex said 1:40AM on 1-03-2009
I just bought a $15 dollar itunes card to buy apps for my itouch does this mean i just wasted $15?
p.s I live in canada
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Austin Duggal said 10:43PM on 2-02-2009
I found a site where you could purchase iTunes Gift Cards at 40% off, learn how to purchase and redeem this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ufBsvPPLM
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damiandurbin said 1:59AM on 2-21-2009
access my i tunes account
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