What should I do if my Apple Gift Card shows as redeemed?

See:

If you can't redeem your Apple Gift Card or App Store & iTunes Gift Card - Apple Support

First, try signing out of the App Store or iTunes Store on all of your devices, then sign back in. This will refresh your Apple Account balance.

Second, if that still doesn’t work, where did you purchase this Apple Gift Card? Some retailers leave their gift cards out in the open where they can be tampered with. How most thieves do it is they peel or scratch off the tag and record the code. Now you may realize that the cashier must activate it, you are correct. The thieves will wait a few days for the card to be purchased and thus activated, then use it for their self. If so, take this Gift Card back to the retailer you bought it from and take this up with them.

This version of the link will take you to the section of the support article about what to do if your card has already been redeemed If you can't redeem your Apple Gift Card or App Store & iTunes Gift Card - Apple Support

Realize that gift card scams are fairly common. If you cannot purchase one located in a secure location in the store protected from tampering, my inclination would be to only purchase a lower value card and redeem it immediately after you purchase it (I redeem mine while still at the register).

If you purchased the Gift Card on a rack where it is displayed for the public to tamper with them, then you were likely scammed right in the store and they failed to protect your purchase. The retailer knows this happens and fail in solving the problem. Unfortunately Apple cannot force retailers to sell them securely behind a counter, but those that don't should take responsibility as they are the ones putting their customers at risk. Ironically, these same stores have no problem locking up products that can be stolen from them, but when it comes to protecting their customers, they don't seem nearly as concerned.

It has been reported many times that scammers take a bunch of Gift Cards off these racks and peel the sticker off to write the code down. The sticker can be replaced with ones purchased on Amazon. After they return the card to the rack, all they need to do is wait for you to pick it up and activate it through the check stand. This is true for not only Apple Gift Cards, but all the others as well.

In the future, only purchase Gift Cards when they are secured behind a counter at a retailer or purchase them online. I understand you are blaming Apple for this, but in my opinion, when a scam is occurring right in the retailers store and they know about it, then they need to take responsibility.

Some stores are notorious for scammers when those Gift Cards are displayed in a location of the store where they can easily be tampered with. The retailer failed to protect your purchase and they are aware of the common scam when they choose not to secure the Gift Card. Ironically, it is those same retailers that will lock up products in the store that are easily stolen and results in them loosing money, but don't have the same concern for their customers.

In the future, do yourself a favor and only purchase them from a retailer that secures them behind a counter or even directly through Apple.

Bad_Apple12 wrote:

Apple refuses to take responsibility for selling a defective card! I bought a $10.00 card and when it didn't work, I followed all the instructions given by the Apple rep, submitting every single picture with receipts. The sticker took off some of the letters from the code and I was not able to redeem my card. It is a billion dollar company stealing from just an average customer! It has taken over a month for them to review receipts! How many people does it take for a company to review a $10.00 defective card??

Resolving the issue of a card that is missing part of the code for any reason is resolved by doing the steps you have followed, and is a trivial step where others have had no problem getting help. It if was determined that the card has already been redeemed, then that is a different issue and you were likely scammed at the store. Some retailers simply don't protect their customers's purchases, and those should be avoided by only purchasing Gift Cards when they are secured behind a counter.

No, you are not likely to get a refund for a Gift Card that has already been redeemed. If that were the case, then people would simply purchase a Gift Card and give it to someone else to redeem and spend on a throwaway Apple Account, then claim their card does not work. It is the retailers responsibility to protect your purchase. That is one possibility for what could have happened to you.

Bad_Apple12 wrote:

I purchased it at a local supermarket and have purchased Apple gift cards here in the past.

Just takes one time for you to grab a Gift Card off of a rack where a scammer was able to place that card after copying the code and replacing the sticker. The person who placed that card on the rack was just waiting for you to activate it in the checkstand.

That is why they should only be purchased when sold behind a counter, where the retailer is able to protect your purchase. No need to take any chances.

Hello~ See the post by *Mac Jim ID* as it fully explains. I don’t buy gift cards in stores any more for this exact reason. You can purchase Apple Gift Cards online from Apple…

Apple Gift Card - Apple

~Katana-San~

Has Apple Support been helpful with your issue? They made me upload my apple card with 20 different pictures. Front and back of the card, the sleeves, and the receipts, and still they were not able to solve this issue! I contacted Apple about 5 times and still.. They can't get a simple thing figured out in refunding $10.00 gift card!

Apple refuses to take responsibility for selling a defective card! I bought a $10.00 card and when it didn't work, I followed all the instructions given by the Apple rep, submitting every single picture with receipts. The sticker took off some of the letters from the code and I was not able to redeem my card. It is a billion dollar company stealing from just an average customer! It has taken over a month for them to review receipts! How many people does it take for a company to review a $10.00 defective card??

Hello~ Where did you purchase this card?

~Katana-San~

Hello~ Agree…very nicely put.

~Katana-San~

I purchased it at a local supermarket and have purchased Apple gift cards here in the past.