App Store vs iTunes Gift Card: What Is the Difference?

There is no real difference between an App Store gift card and an iTunes gift card today. Both names describe the same card, and both add money to the balance of your Apple Account. The difference that does matter is the country: a card works only on an Apple Account set to the country the card was issued for. Check that before you buy, and the rest is easy.

App Store vs iTunes gift card: the names explained

The confusion comes from history. iTunes was once the place where people bought music and films, and the App Store was the place for apps. The gift card was first known as an iTunes card and later carried both names: App Store & iTunes Gift Card. Whatever the label said, the code loaded one and the same balance.

Next to it, Apple had a second, separate card for its shops, used to buy devices and accessories. That one could not pay for apps, and the digital card could not pay for an iPhone.

In some countries Apple has since merged the two into a single card, simply called Apple Gift Card, which pays for digital purchases and for devices alike. In other countries, Türkiye among them, the card is still sold as App Store & iTunes and pays for digital purchases only.

So the name on the card tells you little. Two questions tell you everything: which country is the card for, and is it for digital purchases?

What an Apple gift card is used for

Once redeemed, the card becomes Apple Account balance. That balance pays for almost anything Apple sells digitally:

• apps and games from the App Store;
• in-app purchases, including the currency you buy inside a game on an iPhone or iPad;
• subscriptions billed through Apple, such as Apple Music, Apple Arcade and those of many other apps;
• iCloud+ storage;
• films, series and books, where Apple offers them.

For most purchases Apple takes the balance first, and your bank card is charged only for what the balance does not cover. Many people use a gift card for exactly that reason: they can pay for a game or a subscription without keeping a bank card on the account.

There are limits. The balance cannot be turned back into cash, cannot be sent to another person's account and cannot be spent outside Apple. And a gift card has nothing to do with Apple Pay, which is a way to pay with your own bank cards.

The country rule: cards for Türkiye, the US and elsewhere

Every Apple Account belongs to one country or region, and every gift card belongs to one too. The two must match. A US card is refused on an account set to Türkiye, and a card for Türkiye is refused on a US account.

To see your account's country on an iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Media & Purchases, then View Account, and look at Country/Region.

You can change an account's country, but Apple sets conditions. You must spend the remaining balance first, end active subscriptions and have a payment method that is valid in the new country. The balance does not travel with you. Changing country only to redeem one card is rarely worth it.

On Mas4Games, App Store & iTunes gift cards are for Apple Accounts whose country is Türkiye. If your account is set to another country, these cards will not work on it.

How to redeem an App Store gift card

A digital card is a 16-character code that begins with the letter X. On an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap your picture, or the sign-in button, at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Redeem Gift Card or Code.
4. Choose to enter the code manually, and type or paste it.
5. Tap Redeem. Your new balance appears under your name.

On a Mac, open the App Store, click your name in the sidebar and choose Redeem Gift Card. On a Windows PC, Apple's Music and TV apps, and iTunes, have the same Redeem option under your account.

Before you redeem, look at which Apple Account the device is signed in to. On a shared or family device it may not be yours, and a redeemed balance cannot be moved afterwards.

If the code is not accepted

• A typing mistake. The letter O and the digit 0 look alike, and so do I and 1. Paste the code instead of typing it, and check that it has 16 characters and starts with X.
• The wrong country. This is the most common reason. The message usually says the code must be redeemed in another country's store. The only fix is an account of the right country.
• Already redeemed. Check your balance: you, or someone signed in on your device, may have used the code already.

Nobody honest asks to be paid with gift card codes. If a caller or a message demands Apple gift cards for a bill, a fine or a prize, it is a scam. A code you have shared is a code you have lost.

Frequent questions about Apple gift cards

Is an Apple gift card the same as an iTunes gift card?

For digital purchases, yes. Both add balance to your Apple Account. Where Apple sells the single Apple Gift Card, that card also pays for devices, which the App Store & iTunes card does not.

Can an Apple gift card be used for games?

Yes. The balance pays for paid games, for Apple Arcade and for in-app purchases inside games, as long as the purchase goes through the App Store.

How do I check my Apple Account balance?

Open the App Store and tap your picture at the top. The balance is shown under your name. If you see no amount, the account has no balance.

App Store gift cards for Türkiye accounts on Mas4Games

If your Apple Account's country is Türkiye, Mas4Games has App Store & iTunes gift cards for it. The code is shown on the order's page in your account and is also sent by email, ready to redeem with the steps above. If a code gives you trouble, the help center has live support.