I received an apple gift card, which I redeemed to my apple id account. The amount shows up in my Apple ID on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I want to use it to purchase AppleCare for my iPad, but for some reason that is not an accepted payment option.
Other forums say that you can use the Apple ID credits to pay for AppleCare. How do I do this?
iPad Air
It currently isn’t possible to purchase an AppleCare+ Subscription using a gift card or your Apple account balance online or via contacting support.
If you wish to use an Apple gift card for this purchase you can head to a physical Apple Store location with your device within 60 days of purchase to do so.
Apple’s gift card marketing materials need to be fixed to reflect this.
Apple’s gift cards are widely marketed as versatile and suitable for “everything Apple,” which led me to believe that I could use an Apple gift card to purchase Apple Care+ for my Apple products. However, I was surprised to discover that this was not the case when I attempted to make such a purchase.
Nowhere on Apple’s official website or within the terms and conditions of Apple gift cards is there any mention of a limitation preventing the use of gift cards for Apple Care+ purchases. This lack of information can be misleading to customers who rely on Apple’s clear and comprehensive product descriptions.
In my pursuit of a resolution to this matter, I contacted Apple Support, which took a significant amount of my time and patience. After two lengthy, 40-minute phone calls, I was eventually informed that it is possible to purchase Apple Care+ using an Apple gift card at a physical Apple Store location. This information was not readily available, and the lack of transparency in this regard was disheartening.
I would like to bring to your attention that providing misleading information to customers is against the laws and regulations set forth by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In the spirit of maintaining a fair and transparent marketplace, it is crucial that customers are well-informed about the usability of Apple gift cards.
It currently isn’t possible to purchase an AppleCare+ Subscription using a gift card or your Apple account balance online or via contacting support.
If you wish to use an Apple gift card for this purchase you can head to a physical Apple Store location with your device within 60 days of purchase to do so.
Apple’s gift card marketing materials need to be fixed to reflect this.
Apple’s gift cards are widely marketed as versatile and suitable for “everything Apple,” which led me to believe that I could use an Apple gift card to purchase Apple Care+ for my Apple products. However, I was surprised to discover that this was not the case when I attempted to make such a purchase.
Nowhere on Apple’s official website or within the terms and conditions of Apple gift cards is there any mention of a limitation preventing the use of gift cards for Apple Care+ purchases. This lack of information can be misleading to customers who rely on Apple’s clear and comprehensive product descriptions.
In my pursuit of a resolution to this matter, I contacted Apple Support, which took a significant amount of my time and patience. After two lengthy, 40-minute phone calls, I was eventually informed that it is possible to purchase Apple Care+ using an Apple gift card at a physical Apple Store location. This information was not readily available, and the lack of transparency in this regard was disheartening.
I would like to bring to your attention that providing misleading information to customers is against the laws and regulations set forth by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In the spirit of maintaining a fair and transparent marketplace, it is crucial that customers are well-informed about the usability of Apple gift cards.
Yes this is possible despite lots of misinformation! I just did it today.
This worked perfectly for me despite being on the call 5 minutes prior with Support who said it couldn't be done. Similarly the store employees also didn't know.
I was even able to then separately redeem another gift card voucher to bring the balance down further. Then I paid for the remaining balance with a credit card. 3 different forms of payment for one transaction. I did this in store, but not sure if there's a way to do it online.
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Just found this out via Apple support as well. 30-minutes on the phone being bounced around to 3 people.
"Use your balance for all things Apple ..." is states on the website as others have also pointed out. I specifically traded-in an older machine to get get the trade-in credit (via the apple gift card - redeemed it thinking this is what I needed to do to get the funds into my account, which it did.) But alas, cannot use your Apple Account Balance to purchase Apple insurance.
It will not take much more space on the web-site to add "excluding purchase of Apple insurance."
All things Apple means ALL things Apple in my book.
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Looks like it is not possible to pay Apple Care with your Apple Account balance.
Apple Care is not listed here -> What you can buy with your Apple Gift Card or Apple ID balance
What you can buy with your Apple Gift Card or Apple Account balance – Apple Support (UK)
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👉 for sure you can -> Call Apple Support at 1-800-APLCARE.
See also the following Apple articles:
Add a payment method to your Apple ID
Add a payment method to your Apple ID – Apple Support (UK)
Payment methods you can use with your Apple ID
Payment methods you can use with your Apple ID – Apple Support (UK)
fyi: Not all credit & debit cards seem to work with App Store / iTunes Store, try a different one, or preferably a credit card. If your card is not accepted as a paymenf method, you need to contact your bank.
If you still need help, get support from Apple directly -> Get Support or call Apple in your region see -> Contact Apple for support and service
Thanks for the advice. I was able to call Apple and have them un-redeem the gift card. They were very nice about it, but it was still disappointing that the gift card cannot be used to purchase apple care.
Nope not possible. Just got off the phone with Apple and I’m livid. Nowhere on their sales pages do they clarify how you can use a gift card for AppleCare. After I was bounced around to multiple departments on the phone, I was told gift cards could only be used for RENEWING AppleCare. Not initiating. They are lying to the public and getting away with robbery.
AppleCare purchase via Apple ID
