If you're considering purchasing a gift card from Apple, you mostly have three options: an Apple Gift Card, an App Store Gift Card, and an Apple Store Gift Card. Whether you need to buy an Apple product or accessory, pay for a service like Apple TV+ or Apple Music, or purchase an app, you'll find one of the three cards useful.

Deciding on the gift card to get primarily depends on what you or the person you're gifting it to will be using it for. So, let's explore each of them so you can decide what's best for you.

Apple Gift Card

Distinguished by colorful Apple logo designs against a white background, which also doubles as collectible stickers, the Apple Gift Card is the most versatile of the bunch. When you purchase an Apple Gift Card, you can choose from any of the available five designs, each with a redeemable 16-digit code on the back.

What Can You Buy With the Apple Gift Card?

With the Apple Gift Card, you can purchase most Apple items ranging from products and accessories like an Apple Watch, iPhone, case, charger, or keyboard at Apple Store Online, physically at an Apple Store, or within the Apple Store app. Also, you can redeem your gift card into your Apple Account balance and spend it on apps, games, and in-app purchases within the App Store.

For example, you can buy books, music, or movies from Apple Books, the iTunes Store, or the Apple TV app. As for services, you can pay for Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and so on. You can also upgrade your iCloud storage plan for more storage.

You can essentially use your Apple Gift Card to pay for any Apple product, accessory, or service as long as it's a viable payment option in your country or region. Check Apple's support page to check whether gift cards are available in your country or region. Typically, the Apple Gift Card is the only gift card available on Apple's website, making it easily accessible.

However, you can only use an Apple Gift Card in the country where you purchased it. So, if you purchase an Apple Gift Card in the United States, you can't use it in France, and vice versa.

App Store & iTunes Gift Card

App Store & iTunes Gift Cards are typically blue with wavy light blue lines on the front. Behind the cards is a 16-digit redemption code that begins with X. There is also some text telling you where to redeem the card, what to use it for, and where to go for assistance.

You can buy App Store & iTunes Gift Cards via the Music app on your Mac. On a PC, you can buy them from the iTunes app. On an iPhone or iPad, you can buy them from the App Store by tapping the profile icon at the top-right and choosing Send Gift Card by Email.

Some major third-party retailers also sell App Store & iTunes Gift Cards. But before you buy one, you should go through our FAQ for App Store & iTunes Gift Cards.

What Can You Buy With the App Store & iTunes Gift Card?

You can redeem an App Store & iTunes Gift Card for apps, games, iCloud, subscriptions, books, and more. However, unlike with an Apple Gift Card, you cannot use the App Store & iTunes Gift Card to buy products or accessories from the Apple Store. And you can only redeem it within the country or region where it was bought.

Apple Store Gift Card

Apple Store Gift Cards come in gold, white, gray, or silver colors, with an Apple logo in front. Behind the cards, you'll see a link to a website where you can check your gift card's balance, text informing you that you can only use the card in an Apple Store or apple.com or that you can't redeem it in the iTunes Store, and a phone number you can call for assistance.

What Can You Buy With the Apple Store Gift Card?

You can only use the Apple Store Gift Card at an Apple Retail Store or Apple Store Online to buy Apple products and accessories. It's only for Apple hardware. As such, you can't pay for subscriptions, apps, games, or extra iCloud storage.

While you can use them online or offline in most countries, certain countries, like France, Switzerland, Germany, and Singapore, only allow you to use them physically in Apple Retail Stores and not online.

Which Gift Card Should You Buy?

If you're unsure which gift card to buy, consider what you want to use it for. Do you want to shop for Apple devices online or in a physical store? Go for an Apple Store Gift Card. Want to buy apps and games or subscribe to services? An App Store & iTunes Gift Card is a good choice.

However, if you're indecisive and like the idea of being able to switch from wanting to buy Apple hardware to buying Apple software, then the Apple Gift Card offers the best of both worlds.