Can You Use An Apple Gift Card To Buy AppleCare?

If you have a stack of old Apple or iTunes gift cards laying around, you may be wondering if you can put them to good use for something you actually really need.

What about getting AppleCare for one of your products? Can you buy AppleCare with an Apple Gift card?

Can You Use An Apple Gift Card To Buy AppleCare?

You can apply an Apple gift card towards the cost of AppleCare, but you will need to purchase it first. I can’t just redeem a gift card for the cost of AppleCare. 

While I cannot just buy it with my gift card and then use that in place of your credit/debit card without activating it, I will still receive a code to cover any remaining balance needed for Coverage or Extended Protection.

Once my purchase is complete, and I activate my AppleCare, that code will automatically be added to my Apple ID account under Advanced.

I can then log into the Apple website and use that code to pay for any outstanding balance of my AppleCare contract.

However, I don’t know if I can use the gift card right after purchase. 

I will need to wait until I receive an email receipt from them informing me that my AppleCare is active, and then log into Apple’s site and apply the gift card towards any remaining balance.

I should tell you that there is no bulk discount for this type of purchase. 

If I want to save money on my AppleCare contract, the best way to do so is by going in-store.

I can purchase AppleCare for as low as $9.95 per month for iPhones and iPads, and about $14.95 for Macs at an Apple store.

How do I check the balance on my Apple gift card?

Apple offers electronic check deposits for most of its gift cards. 

I can access this from my Apple account settings or directly by clicking on the “View Details” link under any gift card I have in hand. 

On the screen that appears, I will see the remaining credits, the balance, and how many days until all credits are depleted. 

The balance will be zero after that date.

If my Apple gift card doesn’t display the balance, I can also go to the store where I bought it and ask them to print me a new receipt that will show the balance. 

If it were a retailer where I registered my card with them, they would tell me how much is left on it.

If none of these methods was successful, then referring to support is the next step. 

I can do so by phone, chat, or even email.

How do I register an Apple gift card?

I can register my Apple gift card at any time.

Otherwise, I will only purchase Apple products from Apple’s online store if I already have an account with them.

There are four ways to register my card:

• On the screen where I enter the amount of my currency, there is an area asking if it is a gift card. If it says yes, I can proceed and select Continue or Start shopping. The option on the right side will tell me how many credits are left on my card.
• On the screen where I enter my billing and shipping information, there is an area where I should select if I want to enter a gift card. On the next screen that appears, I can enter the card number and then proceed with my purchase.
• Choose the option to purchase with a gift card or an Apple Store Gift Card in the Payments section after selecting my desired shipping method. This will take me to another screen with fields for various information, including my billing address. If I already have an account with Apple, I can enter the gift card number instead of the address.
• On the screen where I select my desired shipping method, a checkbox is marked “Gift Card.” If it is checked, I can enter the gift card number.

On the screen where I enter the amount of my currency, there is an area asking if it is a gift card. 

If it says yes, I can proceed and select Continue or Start shopping. 

The option on the right side will tell me how many credits are left on my card.

On the screen where I enter my billing and shipping information, there is an area where I should select if I want to enter a gift card.

On the next screen that appears, I can enter the card number and then proceed with my purchase.

Choose the option to purchase with a gift card or an Apple Store Gift Card in the Payments section after selecting my desired shipping method. 

This will take me to another screen with fields for various information, including my billing address.

If I already have an account with Apple, I can enter the gift card number instead of the address.

On the screen where I select my desired shipping method, a checkbox is marked “Gift Card.” If it is checked, I can enter the gift card number.

I can also register online by going to Apple.com/giftcard/customer-service and registering my card using that method.

How do I know when my gift card expires?

I don’t know what the future holds, but I think the best thing to do is check out on Apple’s site in advance if they offer a countdown function.

It will tell me when my gift card expires, and I can then remove it from my Apple account to make sure that I have used it before doing so.

If they don’t have this facility, it will be easier to check my card now and then.

If I don’t use it for several months, there may be little to no credit left on it.

I don’t know how long it will be active after the credit is fully depleted, but if I want to make sure that I can use it again, I should prevent that from happening by using my gift card before its expiration date.

How do I redeem an Apple gift card?

I can do so by clicking on redeem on the gift card’s info page (on Apple’s website, for instance).

I will need to enter the 16-digit code on its back and click on redeem. 

After doing so, I will be presented with a thank you page, and my credits should appear within 24 hours.

I don’t know how long it will take if I buy it in-store and the employees don’t keep some records of previous purchases, but I can always ask them to check the register. 

Also, if my gift card has a code on it, Apple will use that as proof that I can redeem it.

In conclusion, I can redeem an Apple gift card for an AppleCare Protection Plan. 

However, I will need first to buy it and then activate the plan afterward. 

If an Apple gift card is redeemed towards a Macbook or Apple TV, the same applies.

If I want to purchase a new iPhone or iPad, I do so online and go in-store later to register it with my Apple  id and get the remaining balance from my gift card.

I can also use this method for purchasing accessories like Apple Pencil or AirPods.