If you purchased an Apple App Store or iTunes gift card, Apple may owe you money after it agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged the company misrepresented the value and security of its gift cards.
The primary issue plaintiffs had was that gift cards could be redeemed by an unknown third party even though that third party did not purchase the card. As detailed in this Apple community forum post from 2020, one of the ways someone else can redeem a gift card you purchased usually involves a scammer copying down the number of the gift card in the store it is available from and then placing it back on the shelf. When the gift card is then purchased by an unsuspecting victim and activated at the register, the scammer already has the number of the card and can redeem the card’s value to their Apple account.
The class-action settlement covers two classes of people:
- The “nationwide class” covers any consumer in the United States who purchased an App Store or iTunes gift card between March 2018 and July 2020 and whose gift card had a redemption attempt prior to activation, whose gift card was redeemed by an unknown third party, and who did not receive a replacement gift card or refund.
- The “California subclass” covers those who had the same issue with the gift cards, but the gift card must have been purchased in California between May 2017 and February 2018. California residents are also included in the nationwide class.
Apple has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle the lawsuit. The value of the settlement each class member receives will be up to a maximum of the face value of the gift card they purchased. However, the total value received by each claimant may be less.
If you are one of those affected, you can submit a claim form via the settlement website here. You must file a claim by January 8, 2024.