Apple / iTunes gift card: how to sell it without getting scammed

Apple and iTunes gift cards are among the cards scammers ask for most, which is exactly why selling one needs a little care. The card itself is simple. The risks come from where the card came from, who sees the code, and which country's store it belongs to.

Apple Gift Card, App Store & iTunes: what you have

You may have one of two kinds of card:

• Apple Gift Card — the newer card, sold in many countries, that can be used for apps, games, subscriptions, iCloud storage and, in some countries, Apple products.
• App Store & iTunes Gift Card — the older card, still sold in some countries, for digital content only.

For selling, they are treated the same way: what matters is the country, the currency and an unused code. Apple codes are typically 16 characters and, on current cards, begin with the letter X. The code is under the scratch-off label on the back of a physical card, or in the e-mail for a digital card.

Country matters more than anything else

An Apple gift card is tied to the country of the store it was issued for. A US card can only be redeemed by an Apple account set to the US store; a UK card only on the UK store, and so on. When you sell:

1. Choose the country printed on the card or in the e-mail — not where you live now.
2. Choose the card's currency. Non-USD cards are converted to US dollars at the rate shown in your estimate, before the deduction.

The sell Apple / iTunes page shows every country version we see and which are accepted today with an instant estimate. Versions outside the automatic list can be submitted for review and quoted by a person.

What an Apple card pays

Apple and iTunes cards are on the automatic rate list with a 10% deduction. A $100 card pays $90 to your GiftSello wallet, a $50 card pays $45, and a $25 card pays $22.50. The minimum card value is $10. The rate is locked when you submit, and there is no listing or payout fee.

The payout is credited within 24 hours of a complete, eligible submission. From there you can withdraw to a bank account or a crypto wallet from $50, or spend the balance on seller-verified gift cards at 8% off face value (4% off e-money).

How Apple gift card scams work

Apple itself warns that its gift cards can only be used to buy goods and services from Apple — never to pay a tax bill, a utility, a fine, bail, a debt collector or a "support fee". Almost every Apple card scam breaks that rule in some way:

• The fake authority. A caller claiming to be the tax office, the police, a utility or a bank says you owe money and must pay today with Apple cards. Real authorities never take gift cards.
• The tech-support pop-up. A warning says your computer or iPhone is infected and gives a number to call. The "technician" asks for Apple cards to fix it.
• The romance or friend-in-trouble message. Someone you met online, or a hacked friend's account, needs cards urgently and asks for photos of the back.
• The overpaying buyer. Someone buying your item "accidentally" sends too much and asks for the difference back in Apple cards.

Selling an Apple card without getting scammed

When you are the seller, the risks flip around: you are protecting the code from a fake buyer. The rules are short:

• Never send the code before you know what you will be paid and by whom. On GiftSello you see the exact payout first, and the code is entered on our own sell page — never in a chat.
• Do not send photos of the back of the card to anyone. A photo of the code is the code.
• Ignore buyers who contact you first on social media, offering more than face value. Genuine buyers publish their rates.
• Keep the receipt. It is your proof that the card was bought normally, and it speeds up verification of higher values.

We verify the balance and region of every card. Codes are never redeemed to test them and are never shown to other customers.

Before you submit: a short checklist

• The code has never been redeemed — not even "just to check" in your own Apple account.
• The country and currency match the card.
• All 16 characters are readable; if the scratch panel damaged one, add a clear photo.
• You still have the purchase receipt or the original e-mail.

Questions about selling Apple cards

Can I sell my Apple account balance?

No. Once a code has been redeemed, the money belongs to that Apple account and there is no code left to sell.

My card is from Germany but I live in the US. Can I still sell it?

Yes. Choose Germany and euros on the sell page. The euro value is converted to US dollars at the rate shown before the deduction.

What happens if it is rejected?

You see the reason in My Sales and nothing is deducted. The usual causes are an already-redeemed code, the wrong country or currency, or a card flagged by the issuer.

Selling a different app-store card? Google Play works the same way — see our Google Play guide.