iTunes Store Now Accepting Donations for Superstorm Sandy Relief

MacRumors · Oct 31, 2012

Apple has launched a new page on its iTunes Store allowing users to easily donate money to the American Red Cross toward Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. The donation page, which is accessible through the desktop iTunes Store as well as the iTunes and App Store apps on iOS, permits donations at the $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 levels.

Apple will transfer 100% of each donation directly to the American Red Cross, allowing users to have their donations seamlessly billed to their existing iTunes Store accounts. With Apple currently holding over 400 million iTunes Store accounts with credit cards attached, the company has a very significant customer base that can take advantage of the donation program.

Apple has conducted several similar campaigns in the past, most recently in March 2011 following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and in January 2010 following the Haitian earthquakes.

Update: Apple has now added a link to the iTunes Store donation page on the main apple.com page.

Article Link: iTunes Store Now Accepting Donations for Superstorm Sandy Relief

daneoni · Oct 31, 2012

Very nice.

pk7 · Oct 31, 2012

I love it when Apple does this. Generous move.

Icestorm815 · Oct 31, 2012

Why would someone donate through Apple instead of directly to the Red Cross? I think it's nice that Apple is raising awareness, but it seems just as easy to do it directly to the Red Cross (plus then it's tax deductible).

daneoni · Oct 31, 2012

Icestorm815 said:
Why would someone donate through Apple instead of directly to the Red Cross? I think it's nice that Apple is raising awareness, but it seems just as easy to do it directly to the Red Cross (plus then it's tax deductible).

iTunes store gets more eyeballs than the Red Cross site. Also Apple already has a lot of credit card details on their servers. One click is all it takes.

MultiMediaWill · Oct 31, 2012

The awkward moment when Apple has billions of liquid dollars and will not donate anything. Hypocrisy at its finest.

appleguy123 · Oct 31, 2012

MultiMediaWill said:
The awkward moment when Apple has billions of liquid dollars and will not donate anything. Hypocrisy at its finest.

It's almost as if they're a publicly traded company with the sole purpose of making money for the shareholders! Those heartless bastards.

mrgraff · Oct 31, 2012

appleguy123 said:
It's almost as if they're a publicly traded company with the sole purpose of making money for the shareholders! Those heartless bastards.

Exactly, so why are they pretending otherwise?

davidgrimm · Oct 31, 2012

Good Move!

I love it when Apple does this. If I mailed a check to the Red Cross, my name would be get on a list and they'd spend at least 1/2 of what I sent them begging for more. They still may piss away 1/2 the money on begging campaigns, but at least they won't be filling my mail box with their crap.

So Thanks Apple, for letting me donate in a secure and anonymous manner and still have confidence that the money will actually make it to the Red Cross.

jvpython · Oct 31, 2012

MultiMediaWill said:
The awkward moment when Apple has billions of liquid dollars and will not donate anything. Hypocrisy at its finest.

And how would you know?

noupf · Oct 31, 2012

MultiMediaWill said:
The awkward moment when Apple has billions of liquid dollars and will not donate anything. Hypocrisy at its finest.

please post a copy of the receipt from your donation............hope its more than $5

Puevlo · Oct 31, 2012

MultiMediaWill said:
The awkward moment when Apple has billions of liquid dollars and will not donate anything. Hypocrisy at its finest.

They shouldn't have to. People are using their iPhone's to dial 000 which if they could not they would die. Apple has saved thousands of lives already.

JoJack82 · Oct 31, 2012

Who gets the tax write off? Apple? Just go here to donate directly

Peace · Oct 31, 2012

Slow down kids. Stop the hate and donate.

GREEN4U · Oct 31, 2012

If I donate, I want to know where my money's going. For example, a rural family who lost their home would be great. But I wouldn't want my money going to some rich Manhattan-ite whose Porsche was flooded in their $600/month underground parking space. For that reason, I'm not donating. I'll wait for the next disaster. Sorry East Coasters!

AppleScruff1 · Oct 31, 2012

2IS said:
Allowing the Red Cross seemless access to their entire customer base is pretty generous I'd say. If you or a loved one had an illness that you could not afford to get treatment for, and Apple allows you to receive donations like this from their customer base, would you say...

"no Thanks Apple, if your customers want to donate, they can come to me directly!"

No, I didn't think so either. Think before posting.

How is it generous of Apple allowing you to donate your own money? It's convenient, but not generous.

----------

noupf said:
still waiting to see your donation receipt...........

As if I'd post what I do here. I'm like Steve. I give secretly. You should be defending me.

MacMilligan · Oct 31, 2012

Fishy. Apple gives you an iTunes receipt. You do not get to write your donation off for tax purposes. It sounds like apple is using this to write your donation off on their taxes.

nutjob · Oct 31, 2012

GREEN4U said:
If I donate, I want to know where my money's going. For example, a rural family who lost their home would be great. But I wouldn't want my money going to some rich Manhattan-ite whose Porsche was flooded in their $600/month underground parking space. For that reason, I'm not donating. I'll wait for the next disaster. Sorry East Coasters!

Excuses, excuses.

noupf · Oct 31, 2012

MacMilligan said:
Fishy. Apple gives you an iTunes receipt. You do not get to write your donation off for tax purposes. It sounds like apple is using this to write your donation off on their taxes.

when you make charitable doantions you do get a reciept. you need that receipt to prove that you made the dontation in case you ever get audited by the irs.

The donation is a write off for those who donate. Apple can not write off the doantion on your behalf.

RVdave · Oct 31, 2012

Are the donations for the people or for the damaged Apple stores?

davidgrimm · Oct 31, 2012

I'll donate. Its my duty to help those less fortunate than I. I do not rely on the government to relieve me of my responsibility to my fellow Americans and fellow man.

I appreciate Apple making it easy for me to do this.

AppleScruff1 · Oct 31, 2012

Tubamajuba said:
Why are you harassing people that defend Apple on a website dedicated to Apple and its products? That's about as tactful as campaigning for the Green Party presidential candidate inside the RNC or DNC headquarters.

And besides, NOBODY has mentioned anything about "X company would never do what Apple is doing here!" or anything illogical or trashing other companies. So I don't see why you have such an issue with people talking about Apple in a positive light. There are plenty of other places on the internet dedicated to being perpetually cynical towards Apple, I don't know why so many people choose MacRumors to vent their frustrations.

I'm not harassing anyone. I am merely pointing out that Apple making it easy for YOU to donate YOUR money isn't a generous act on Apple's part. They make it convenient for you. And as usual, there is a deluge of people defending Apple at all costs. If this was Google or Microsoft, they'd be considered cheap, wouldn't they?

appleguy123 · Oct 31, 2012

mrgraff said:
Exactly, so why are they pretending otherwise?

Did I miss the article where they pretended otherwise? They are just letting people use their iTunes accounts for some philanthropy. It gets them good publicity, it puts the option in front of a lot of eyes, and it allows people who aren't comfortable for whatever reason entering their cardio care number in a browser. Plus it costs Apple no money beyond normal server costs. Win win win.

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AppleScruff1 said:
I'm not harassing anyone. I am merely pointing out that Apple making it easy for YOU to donate YOUR money isn't a generous act on Apple's part. They make it convenient for you. And as usual, there is a deluge of people defending Apple at all costs. If this was Google or Microsoft, they'd be considered cheap, wouldn't they?

No, they wouldn't. Publicity traded corporations raised money through a public offering of shares in their company. When they do this it is implied that they will do whatever they can to give the shareholders the best possible return on investment. If the shareholders want to donate the cash they earn, that's up to them.

If anyone has a problem with this, it's not with Apple. It's with the market system.

skaertus · Oct 31, 2012

I tried to make a donation, but it is not available in the Brazilian's iTunes Store (it says that the store of my country doesn't support donations). And, of course, Apple does not allow me to have a US account without a US credit card...

lukarak · Oct 31, 2012

No 30%cut? That`s very generous.

iTunes Store Now Accepting Donations for Superstorm Sandy Relief

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