Why does ITunes lock my account each time a Apple Gift Card is used.

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Level 1

4 points

Why does ITunes lock my account each time a Apple Gift Card is used.

How come every time I load a Apple Gift card to my ITunes account it is automatically locked up. My iTunes account has been locked over 8 times in the last several months … I am not exaggerating. Each time I am locked out the Apple Tech has to reset my account. All the Apple Techs are really nice trying to help. None of them have been able to provide a solution. They keep telling me it is a automated process. The reset process takes 48 hours. My account shows the Gift card amount, yet my account is unusable for 48 hours. Surely someone has got to have a solution.

iPad Pro, iPadOS 26

Posted on Nov 25, 2025 3:11 PM

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Answer 1

Mac Jim ID

Level 9

59,204 points

Nov 25, 2025 4:29 PM in response to _GR00T_

I can understand that would be frustrating. For most there is no delay, and I have never experienced one, although I have seen reports of a hold without any specific reason why. Are you using a VPN by chance where there is a discrepancy in your location that may raise a red flag? Unfortunately Gift Card scams are a real deal much more so than you ever had when using a Money Order.

Certainly you can switch to Android, but some clearly suffer from the same sorts of problems. Just like we could tell you that we have never experienced problems does not mean you haven't, and just because your gamer friends say they don't have any problems does not mean others don't.

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Answer 2

_GR00T_ Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2025 4:02 PM in response to Limnos

Limnos

Thank You for the response. Not trying to sound disgruntled, you are echoing the Apple Tech responses. Their answer, tie a credit/debit card to my iTunes account.

The Apple Gift cards are purchased, guaranteed money added to the iTunes account. No reason for any hold. It’s like the old “money order”.

Truth be said, if I had known that Apple/iTunes would not support there product (Gift Cards) I might have chosen to move to an Android product. All my gamer friends tell me they have no trouble using google gift cards.

just say’n

Just annoyed … nothing personal meant.

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Answer 3

Limnos

Level 10

426,641 points

Nov 25, 2025 3:37 PM in response to _GR00T_

The people here are users like yourself with no access to how Apple does things. Apple does say they use automated processes to detect fraud in other contexts https://reportaproblem.apple.com/static/en-us/privacy.html Take a look at how you are doing things. Perhaps cashing a lot of gift cards in a short period of time? Gift cards in large dimensions. Consider instead just adding a payment method such as a debit or credit card to your account to pay for things.

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