Apple has announced that it will be ending support for iTunes Allowances, a feature of the service that allowed parents to automatically place money into a child's iTunes account on a monthly basis. As of April 13, users can no longer create new iTunes Allowance deposits, with the feature officially getting cut-off for good on May 25, 2016.

After that date, any unused allowance credit will be rolled over into the recipient's basic iTunes account and can be used as normal, but the monthly deposits will cease afterwards. Apple has been informing iTunes Allowance users via email about its cancellation, but gave no specific reason as to why it'll be ending the long-running program.

itunes allowance gone
iTunes Allowances let parents gift kids with a monthly amount of store credit -- from $10 to $50 -- without needing to give them credit card information. The allowance credit could be used like a normal iTunes Store gift card, for purchasing content from the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, Mac App Store, or even an Apple Music membership.

The company encourages users to use its Family Sharing features, including Ask to Buy for underage members of a shared account group, in lieu of the allowance feature. It also encourages those who have questions to contact Apple Support as May 25 gets nearer.

(Thanks, Sam!)

Top Rated Comments

WordsmithMR Avatar
117 months ago
You mean parents now have to be responsible for their kids spending? SHOCKING. What's next? Parents will have to buy food for their kids?
Wait... They weren't responsible before with allowances? I'm seeing a flaw in that logic.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teslo Avatar
117 months ago
wow - so rather than resting assured their kids are spending no more than X per month, you now have to keep track manually, and get a notification each and every time they want an app??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shareef777 Avatar
117 months ago
You mean parents now have to be responsible for their kids spending? SHOCKING. What's next? Parents will have to buy food for their kids?
What're you talking about? The point of this was an ALLOWANCE. You know, the thing parents set for their children to teach them about spending and value. They only get $10 per month to buy X number of apps, buy one $10 app and you get nothing else for a month vs buying a couple smaller ones or waiting for an app they are really looking forward to. NOW they can 'purchase' anything and it comes back to us to approve/deny. I want my kids to learn to make decisions for themselves and find value in deciding even a $1 purchase.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jayson A Avatar
117 months ago
Seems like a useful feature. I wonder why they'd remove it?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lcseds Avatar
117 months ago
You mean parents now have to be responsible for their kids spending? SHOCKING. What's next? Parents will have to buy food for their kids?
Clearly you are not a parent.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Boatboy24 Avatar
117 months ago
Never even knew this existed. Would have been useful. My kids got iPods for Christmas.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

Ultra-Thin 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Include These 12 Features

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
apple surveyor app

Apple Launches 'Surveyor' App for Apple Maps Data Collection

Friday March 14, 2025 10:38 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new app called Surveyor, which is designed to allow users to collect data like images of street signs and roadside details to improve Apple Maps. The app is not public facing and appears to be for use with companies that Apple partners with to assign mapping tasks. Downloading the app and opening it up directs users to "Open Partner App" to choose a task. Tapping on...
Apple Intelligence Comes Under Fire Feature

Apple Reassures Siri Team Members Feeling Disappointed and Embarrassed by Apple Intelligence Delay

Friday March 14, 2025 11:45 am PDT by
Apple is reassuring employees on the Siri team who may be feeling demotivated by the recent Siri delays and the bad press surrounding the company's decisions, reports Bloomberg. In a Siri team meeting, Apple senior director Robby Walker acknowledged that employees might be feeling "angry, disappointed, burned out and embarrassed" following the Siri delay, but he praised the hard work of...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
Sad Siri Feature

Kuo: Cook Should Personally Address Siri Apple Intelligence Failure

Thursday March 13, 2025 4:02 pm PDT by
Apple made a major misstep with the way that it handled the delay of Apple Intelligence features for Siri, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Announcing the delay through a press statement was a bad decision, and Apple should instead have gone through official channels. Kuo referenced the well-known "Antennagate" PR crisis when the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, and the way that then Apple...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...