Gift Card and Gift Certificate FAQ

If this information does not answer your question, please email us by clicking on the Email Us button at the bottom of page.

Where can I buy an iTunes Gift Card?

iTunes Gift Cards may be purchased in various denominations at many retailers, as well as Apple Retail Stores and the Apple Online Store.

Gift Card 16-digit code

Should I buy a gift card with the code scratched off?

No, do not buy a gift card if the code has been scratched off prior to sale. Code should be intact upon purchase (as shown) If a gift card is scratched off, please give it to retailer's customer service department so it can be destroyed.

What can I buy with an iTunes Gift Card or iTunes Gift Certificate?

iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates can be used to purchase music, videos, TV shows, and audio books from the iTunes Store. At this time, iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates are not accepted for online Apple Store purchases.

How do I redeem an iTunes Gift Card or iTunes Gift Certificate?

To redeem a gift card or gift certificate, launch iTunes. Click on the iTunes Store icon in the Source list. Then, click Redeem under QUICK LINKS in the upper right hand column. Or, click the link below. We'll launch iTunes and take you directly to the right page.

Redeem a gift card or gift certificate now

iTunes says my code is "invalid".

When iTunes says that a code is "invalid" it usually means that one or more of the characters that you've entered into the redemption field are incorrect. If your code is not accepted at the iTunes Store, make sure that you've entered the code exactly as it appears on your card.

Please read your code carefully. The following letters and numbers can look very similar:

The letter A and the letter H
The letter B and the number 8
The letter D and the number 0
The letter E and the number 3
The letter G and the number 6
The letter H and the letter W
The letter J and the number 1
The letter M and the letter N
The letter O and the number 0
The letter P and the letter F
The letter Q and the letter O
The letter Q and the number 0
The letter S and the number 5
The letter S and the number 8
The letter V and the letter U
The letter Z and the number 2

If you're still unable to redeem your gift card after verifying the characters in the code, please email us using the form at the bottom of the page. Make sure that you include the serial number from the back of your card. See the section below on locating the serial number for your iTunes Gift Card.

iTunes says my code is "inactive".

If you are unable to redeem your card after verifying your code, first locate the serial number from the back of the card. The number begins with the letters "GCA" or "60" and is 16 digits. (Some cards may have a serial number that begins with EPY and is 14 digits.)

One example is shown below.

Gift Card Serial Number

Once you've located your iTunes Gift Card's serial number, please email us. Be sure to include the serial number of your card in the field provided.

I accidentally scratched off the activation code.

Please email our customer service department. Please include the serial number (See the section above on locating the serial number for your card) on the card and fill out as much of the card activation code as you can.

I want to create an account with my card, but don't want to enter a credit card.

That's easy! Follow these simple steps

Install the latest version of iTunes. You can download iTunes (it's free) from the Download iTunes webpage. If iTunes is already installed on your computer, check your version and update if necessary.
Open iTunes.
In the Source list (on the left side of the iTunes window), click iTunes Store.
In the upper-right corner of the iTunes Store window, verify that the button next to Account says "Sign In." If this button displays an email address instead, click the button and then click Sign Out.
In the iTunes Store window, click the Redeem link in the right column.
In the resulting screen, enter the 16-digit code printed on the back of the card (it starts with an "X"), then click Redeem.
In the resulting screen, create your new iTunes Store account. You will have the option to enter credit card information; if you do not wish to do so, click the None button on the Payment screen.
Once you've successfully redeemed your music card, the credit amount will appear next to the Account details in the upper-right corner. Each time you purchase music, iTunes will deduct funds from the credit until it's depleted. If a pending purchase exceeds the credit amount, iTunes will ask you to enter a credit card number. You do not need to re-enter your music card number to make multiple purchases.

Can I redeem a US gift certificate or gift card if I live outside the US?

Gift certificates and gift cards purchased on the iTunes Store are valid for use only in the country in which they were purchased. Gift certificates purchased in the United States may only be redeemed by residents of the United States.

My email gift certificate didn't reach the recipient.

Our email may have been blocked by the recipient's email spam filter. Please ask the recipient to check in their junk email folder. If you purchased the gift certificate through the iTunes Store (not the Apple Store), you can resend the gift certificate to the recipient.