Apple Store App Now Allows Passbook Gift Card Integration Internationally

Apple has updated its Apple Store app today with "various improvements and performance enhancements", with international users in several countries also gaining the ability to use gift cards purchased in the app within Passbook.

The company introduced Passbook gift card support for the app in October 2012, but the feature was exclusive to users in the United States. Now users in a select number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and others have attained the same ability.

What's New in Version 2.9

- Gift cards by email now available in select countries. Buy and email them to friends and family right from the app. These gift cards are easily integrated with the Passbook app to use at your favorite Apple Retail Store.
- Various improvements and performance enhancements.

The Apple Store app is available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Futurix

100 months ago

So you can now buy retail gift cards in the UK not just iTunes vouchers?

Yep.

:D
Values from £25 to £2000 - but only via Passbook, not paper/plastic ones.

----------

Passbook is the next Ping

Unlike Ping, I use Passbook daily.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

larrylaffer

100 months ago

I'm surprised that they didn't already have support for this. At least... I think that would have been the obvious thing to do.

I had Target and Walgreens for a while but in my experience it was often difficult to scan. Even if it wasn't, getting it to pop up on the lock screen didn't work very consistently (for one, it detects the main store where I live, but not the one near my school).

Even if both of those were fixed I can still type my phone number faster than it would take me to even remember which pocket I put my phone in.

Which is ironic because I wouldn't have that phone number if it weren't for getting an iPhone.

I feel like Starbucks got it right. They place a scanner in front of the register pointing in your direction. It's very easy to bring the card up, and then just turn your phone around and point at the screen.

What a bunch of the business are missing is a scanner positioned in a way such that your effort is minimized.

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Top Stories

YouTube Says iOS Picture-in-Picture Coming to All US Users

Friday June 18, 2021 9:41 am PDT by Sami Fathi

After a long wait, YouTube for iOS is officially gaining picture-in-picture support, allowing all users, non-premium and premium subscribers, to close the YouTube app and continue watching their video in a small pop-up window. In a statement to MacRumors, YouTube says that picture-in-picture is currently rolling out to all premium subscribers on iOS and that a larger rollout to all US iOS...

Read Full Article • 179 comments

iOS Bug Causes Specific Network Name to Disable Wi-Fi on iPhones

Sunday June 20, 2021 4:15 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

A wireless network naming bug has been discovered in iOS that effectively disables an iPhone's ability to connect to Wi-Fi. Security researcher Carl Schou found that after joining a Wi-Fi network with the name "%p%s%s%s%s%n" his iPhone's Wi-Fi functionality was left "permanently disabled." Changing a hotspot's SSID did nothing to correct the problem, with even a reboot failing to make a...

Read Full Article • 138 comments

Video: 20 Annoyances Apple Fixed in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey

Friday June 18, 2021 11:36 am PDT by Juli Clover

With iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, Apple is adding several quality of life improvements, which are designed to address some of the complaints that people have had with these operating systems for years now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. In our latest YouTube video, we're highlighting some of our favorite "fix" features that address long-running problems in iOS and...

Read Full Article • 129 comments

When Can We Expect the Redesigned MacBook Pros Now?

Wednesday June 16, 2021 7:11 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

With no sign of redesigned MacBook Pro models at this year's WWDC, when can customers expect the much-anticipated new models to launch? A number of reports, including investor notes from Morgan Stanley and Wedbush analysts, claimed that new MacBook Pro models would be coming during this year's WWDC. This did not happen, much to the disappointment of MacBook Pro fans, who have been...

Read Full Article • 234 comments

Apple Stops Selling Magic Accessories in Space Gray

Friday June 18, 2021 9:16 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple this week stopped selling its Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2 accessories for the Mac in a Space Gray color, around three months after discontinuing the iMac Pro, which also came in Space Gray. Last month, Apple listed the Space Gray accessories as available while supplies last, and the company has now removed the product pages from its website...

Read Full Article • 134 comments

Intel Processor Market Share May Fall to New Low Next Year Due to Apple Silicon

Friday June 18, 2021 2:06 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Intel may see its market share fall to a new low next year, in large part thanks to Apple's decision to move away from using Intel processors in its Mac computers and instead use Apple silicon. Apple announced last year that it would embark on a two-year-long journey to transition all of its Mac computers, both desktops, and laptops, to use its own in-house processors. Apple is expected to...

Read Full Article • 162 comments

Apple Supplier TSMC Readies 3nm Chip Production for Second Half of 2022

Friday June 18, 2021 6:59 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple supplier TSMC is preparing to produce 3nm chips in the second half of 2022, and in the coming months, the supplier will begin production of 4nm chips, according to a new report from DigiTimes. Apple had previously booked the initial capacity of TSMC's 4nm chip production for future Macs and more recently ordered TSMC to begin production of the A15 chip for the upcoming iPhone 13,...

Read Full Article • 152 comments

Apple Launches 2021 Back to School Promotion: Free AirPods With Eligible Mac or iPad Purchase

Thursday June 17, 2021 4:56 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple today launched its seasonal back-to-school sale for the upcoming school year in the United States and Canada, offering students free AirPods alongside purchases of select Macs and iPad models. Similar to last year's promotion, this year's offer includes free AirPods alongside the purchase of a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, the new 24-inch iMac, the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and the new M1-powered ...

Read Full Article • 92 comments

Apple Lowers Prices of AppleCare+ Plans for M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Thursday June 17, 2021 7:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today lowered the prices of AppleCare+ plans for MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with the M1 chip. Coverage offered by the plans, as well as accidental damage fees, appear to remain unchanged. In the United States, AppleCare+ for the MacBook Air now costs $199, down from $249. The new price applies to both M1 and Intel-based MacBook Air models, although Apple no...

Read Full Article • 153 comments