How To Transfer App Store Funds Between Apple IDs

Transferring Your App Store Balance Between Devices (and Why It’s Not Easy)

So, if you’re like me, you probably have some leftover balance in your App Store account—thanks to gift cards, promo codes, or maybe refunds—and wondered if you could just move that over to another device or Apple ID. Well, here’s the thing: it’s not as simple as just dragging funds around. Apple’s system keeps your balance pretty locked to the specific Apple ID, which means no official way to transfer it directly. Honestly, it’s kinda frustrating, especially since it’d make things way easier. It took me a bit of messing around, so hopefully sharing this experience helps save someone else some time.

Why Can’t You Just Transfer Your Balance?

Apple’s official word (at least right now) is that you can’t just transfer store credit or balance from one Apple ID to another. I searched through Settings > Your Profile > Payment & Shipping, and couldn’t find any “transfer funds” button or similar. Seems like they want you to spend the existing balance on whatever you want—apps, subscriptions, anything. If it’s not there, it’s probably because Apple’s system doesn’t support moving funds, period. So, if you want to use your balance on another device, the workaround is to spend it—kind of roundabout.

How to “Use Up” Your Existing Balance on a Different Device

Here’s what finally worked for me—first, make sure you’re logged into the device with the Apple ID that holds the balance. You do that through Settings > [Your Name] > Payment & Shipping. Confirm your payment method, because sometimes, if your balance isn’t enough for a purchase, transactions get blocked if your billing info isn’t set correctly. You might need to add a new card by tapping on Add Payment Method.

Once that’s sorted, head to the App Store app. Find a small, inexpensive app or subscribe to a service like Apple Music or iCloud+ to burn through the funds. If you’re feeling sneaky, you can even redeem a new gift card—since there’s no direct transfer way, buying or redeeming is the only method to “use up” the balance on that device. Trust me, it’s kinda annoying, but it’s the only workaround.

Check Your Settings Before Making a Purchase

Before tapping that buy button, I’d recommend making sure your internet connection is solid—Wi-Fi over flaky LTE, preferably. Also, if you’re using a VPN, try disabling it temporarily because regional restrictions or login issues can pop up. Double-check your Payment & Shipping info to ensure it’s filled out correctly—mistakes here, like incorrect billing address or expired card, can cause the transaction to fail. Sometimes, you also need Two-Factor Authentication enabled, especially if your balance is limited or if your Apple ID isn’t fully set up for payments. All this stuff can be buried in different menus depending on your iOS version, so it’s a bit of a hunt.

Verifying That Your Funds Were Used Up

After making your purchase, you can double-check if your balance is gone by viewing your purchase history. In the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, then choose Purchased. Here you’ll see all the apps, subscriptions, and in-app items bought with that Apple ID—this confirms your funds were used. If you buy anything big or want to add more on the fly, you can also go back to Settings > Your Name > Payment & Shipping and tap Add Funds to Apple ID. But just so you know, adding funds doesn’t transfer the existing balance; it only loads more money into your account. No way to just move the existing credit from one account to another.

Important Caveats & Limitations

Here’s the kicker—there’s no official way to move your balance across Apple IDs. If you really want that old store credit on a new account, the only real method is to sign out of the current Apple ID, sign into the new one, and then make a purchase or redeem a gift card directly on that account. This process can be really fiddly, especially if you run into regional restrictions or account settings that block certain transactions. And be aware—changing your Apple ID region can cause all sorts of issues, like payment method mismatches or inability to add funds. On some devices, you might need to reboot or re-authenticate a few times to get things running right.

Honestly, there’s no “perfect” way to transfer balance, and it’s probably not going to be a seamless experience. The main workaround is to log into the account with the funds on the device you want to use, make a small purchase or redeem a gift card, and then use those funds. Expect some trial-and-error and weird UI quirks. Hope this helps — it took me way too long to figure it all out. Anyway, hopefully this saves someone else a weekend or at least a lot of frustration.