If you’ve ever shopped for a birthday present or Christmas present, you know how difficult it can be to make everyone happy. I’ve had people turn away my gift because they didn’t like it – ouch.
But I have a simpler solution: gift cards.
Then, I sit in the aisle of a store, and I’m scratching my head trying to figure out which gift card is a good choice. Visa and movie gift cards are a good bet, but I’ve started to buy iTunes gift cards a lot more often.
Why buy iTunes gift cards?
There are a lot of reasons:
1. iTunes Offers Flexibility Where Others Fail
iTunes offers a lot of options, and it’s a great choice for the picky person you want to buy a gift for and don’t know what the person wants. Apple users are prime targets for an iTunes gift card, but there are also options for Android users.
When you buy one of these gift cards, it’s a universal card that can be used for:
– Apps. Do you or the person you’re buying the gift for buy apps often? When you have a gift card, you’re able to make app purchases. This is ideal for heavy smartphone or iPad users that are always on their connected devices.
– Movies. Want to watch one of the latest movies? Well, you can use your card for this, too. Entertainment is a popular choice for an iTunes card.
– Music. If you’re not using a music streaming service and want to purchase music, buy it with your gift card. You’ll have access to millions of albums and songs. And you’ll own the content, so there’s no fear of the song being removed from a streaming service.
– Books. Are digital books your thing? Well, read in comfort. There’s a huge library of books to browse through. Just find the title you prefer, purchase it and cuddle up with some blankets as you crack open the first page of the book.
– Games. Who doesn’t like games? If you’re on a long trip or have some down time, download that premium game that everyone is talking about. iTunes has all of the best titles available for you to play.
– In-App. If you have an Apple ID, you can add the card and use it to purchase items in an app. This is great when wanting to unlock ad-free apps or when buying items or additional features in your favorite app.
Note: Apple products cannot be purchased with your card. Only downloadable content can be purchased. If you want to purchase or add to funds to purchase a physical Apple product, such as an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need an Apple gift card.
A general rule of thumb is that your iTunes gift card can be used to purchase downloadable content.
2. iTunes Gift Cards are Great Gifts
You’ll come across a lot of misinformation when it comes to gift cards as gifts. There was a time when I remember my family members stating that they liked actual gifts because they were thoughtful.
But now, times has changed,
These same family members started sending me gift cards long ago, so now I am doing the same. Sure, there’s less thought involved than when buying a specific gift, but you’ll also know that the person can use the gift card to buy something he or she likes.
It’s the perfect idea for anyone that is indecisive or very picky – I have lot of friends that fit this mold.
Bankrate claims that people love giving gift cards, but these people don’t like receiving them as much as they do a present. A past study found that 27% of Americans prefer a gift card over an actual gift.
The key word is: prefer.
Sure, everyone wants that thoughtful gift that a person found just for them. A lot of people are disappointed with gift cards, but people still prefer them over receiving nothing.
There’s also a survey finding that 33% of people feel guilty asking for a gift card or putting one of their wish lists. A survey of 1,100 people found that 60% of people had a gift card to their favorite retailer or online store on their wish list.
People between the ages of 35 and 44 saw this statistic rise to 70%.
Younger generations also prefer gift cards over a present. There’s a sort of freedom and independence among younger generations because they can quickly add the card to their balance and start buying things they want.
So, if you want to buy iTunes gift cards, know that it’s a great option for anyone.
3. Can Be Redeemed on Android Phones
iTunes is so closely tied to iPhone and Apple that people assume you can only use it on iOS. But, this isn’t true at all. It’s a bit more of a hassle, but there are options that will work just well for Android users, too.
– Re-gift the card to someone else
– Swap cards for an Android card
Now, this is a lot of work. You can use the card if you have Apple Music. Yes, you can download Apple Music on Android and start redeeming your gift card. The app will be a powerful option that allows you to buy and listen to music.
If you have a PC, you can download the iTunes app and then redeem the credit.
DRM-free content can then be transferred from the PC to an Android device, but that’s up to you.
Of course, it’s always better to give an Android user a Google Play gift card. But, if you do make this mistake, you know that there is always an option for the recipient to use the card.
4. iTunes Gift Cards Never Expire
I have had gift cards expire in the past. I have had restaurant gift cards that claim they never expire actually not work. I went to one very popular restaurant with a pack of three gift cards that I opened in front of the waitress.
None of the cards worked.
The package said that the cards never expire. And since the cards were still in the package, they had never been used before. Why didn’t they work? I have no idea.
I do know a lot of companies received backlash for these same types of occurrences. It’s a problem for the consumer that has spent their money and effectively lost it.
When you buy iTunes, you have confidence that the card will never expire. Apple is a company with a long history and revenue that very few companies in the world can match.
Apple’ Support claims that iTunes gift cards do not expire. In fact, Apple Music Gift Cards also don’t expire. If you’re having an issue redeeming the card, there’s a chance that it wasn’t purchased from a valid reseller.
There’s also the chance that you’re attempting to redeem a content code rather than a gift card.
Content codes do expire, but there’s a big difference between a content code and an iTunes gift card.
If your card does have problems, you can follow the steps below or contact customer service directly.
– Verify that you’re trying to redeem a card that is not an Apple Store Gift Card. Look at the front of the card, and make sure it says “iTunes” on it. A hidden 16-digit code will be on the back, but you’ll need to peel or scratch off the label. The code will begin with an “X.”
– Manually enter the code if the camera option is not working properly. The camera option is fast and easy to use, but there’s always a risk that an error will occur. If an error does occur, you’ll have a card that keeps coming up invalid. The quick and easy way to fix this problem is to input the code manually.
When the message prompted claims that the card has already been redeemed, you can sign out of your iTunes Store on all of your accounts and then sign back in. Sometimes, this will cause your balance to refresh and show that the gift card was properly added to the account.
Codes that are unreadable or scratched off may be able to be redeemed with a call to Apple.
Apple Support is the right choice if you’ve exhausted all of the options above and want to redeem a card. The support team will work with you through all of the right steps to get your card working – a replacement may be given, too.
5. Retailers Often offer Discounts to Buy an iTunes Gift Card
If you’re going to buy an iTunes gift card, be prepared to pay a dollar-to-dollar value. What do I mean by this? If you’re going to buy a $50 card, it’s going to cost $50. This is standard across all gift cards, but there are times when you can get gift cards at a discount.
OffGamers ran a special weekly sale that allowed users to buy a $500 iTunes card for just $480.
Of course, don’t expect this deal to last forever or be around next weekly sale.
While discounts are not that common, they can and do exist.
You need to be very careful when trying to win free iTunes cards. There’s also a scam that went around that duped a lot of people out of their gift cards. A few bunk service providers were asking that customers use their iTunes card to purchase their service.
But the problem is that these cards are not meant for services or other goods.
If you’re not buying from an Apple-related business, it’s a scam. The same goes for a lot of the “chance to win” sites. You may find a few sites that will give out free gift cards during a contest, but don’t let your money disappear into thin air by falling for one of these easy-to-spot scams.
Always keep an eye out for discounts or offers that seem too good to be true.
Oftentimes, scammers will target the world’s most popular products when they want to scam the public – or you. This means targeting Apple and their products as key scams.
Now, let’s recap a bit on the reasons why I recommend everyone buy iTunes as a gift for someone special in their lives:
Flexibility. You can buy near any downloadable content (from iTunes or the App Store), using one of these cards. If a person watches movies or listens to music, these cards are also very nice gifts. But if a person doesn’t watch movies, listen to music or even download many apps, there’s also another option: iCloud. You can use your card for iCloud upgrades – a bonus not mentioned previously.
Gifts. People like gift cards, but a lot of people are reluctant to say that they prefer a gift card over another type of gift. Statistically, people often have a gift card on their wish list. The key is to make sure that the person wants an iTunes gift card if they’re picky.
Android. Yes, there are workarounds for Android users that will allow Android users to redeem their cards. But the problem is that it’s a lot easier to buy another gift card for Android users.
Expiration. Sometimes, the card will fail to redeem. We provided in-depth tips to correct the issue, but Apple Support reminds all purchasers that these cards never expire.
Discounts. The popularity of iTunes makes it a great option for retailers to lure in consumers. You’ll often find discounts during prime holidays, so keep a lookout for $10 or $15 off the higher-priced iTunes cards.
iTunes is one of the leading platforms offered by Apple, and for any Apple, PC or MAC user, it makes sense to buy them an iTunes gift card. Universal, you can buy a lot of downloadable apps, games, books, music and movies using the gift card.
And since the card never expires, you can buy iTunes when deals are offered and save money on gifts and yourself.
