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Almost two years after Apple introduced its all-in-one gift card in the United States, users in the UK, France and certain other countries in Europe can now purchase it.
In what is becoming an almost annual event, Apple first launched its universal Gift Card in the United States in July 2020 and then in Australia and Canada in July 2021. Now, in late June 2022, it is the turn of several countries in Europe.
The card replaces the previous App Store and Apple Store cards. Previously, the latter could be used to price items in the physical or online Apple Store.
More confusingly, the previous App Store card could be used to buy apps, but it could just as easily be used for music, books, and all videos from the iTunes Store.
Now a user can buy one gift card, which means the recipient can buy any item in any Apple Store, online or not. Or at least they can if they are in the US, Australia, Canada and now certain European stores.
It is possible that Apple is still rolling out the new card in the EU, but at least it has come to the major countries. The new map is now available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and others.
However, dozens of others, from Armenia to Turkey, remain on the old two-gift card style.
Apple has included universal gift cards in its Back to School promotion in the US and Canada this year. Gift cards have generally proved so popular that thieves have used them to steal from Apple, and it is common for consumers to become the target of scams based around them.
The universal gift card expansion was first noticed by Benelux Apple site iCulture†