iTunes Digital Gift Cards Now Available Through Facebook

[MacRumors]

Facebook today announced that it has added iTunes Store digital gift cards to its Facebook Gifts platform, making it easier for users to send iTunes credit to their networks of Facebook friends.

Starting today with Facebook Gifts, you can instantly gift your friends iTunes digital gifts and recommend albums, movies, games, apps, and more available on the iTunes Store.

Search for a specific song or album to recommend, or let your friend decide. iTunes digital gifts are available for $10, $15, $25, or $50.

AllThingsD notes that the partnership offers increased visibility for the iTunes Store and gives Facebook a part of what is currently estimated to be a $260 million business in iTunes Store gift cards for third-party retailers.

Per Apple's last 10-K, the company generated $7.5 billion from the iTunes Store during fiscal year 2012. Industry sources say that more than $2 billion of that revenue comes directly from iTunes gift cards. Sources also tell us that existing retailers who sell iTunes gift cards (like Best Buy, Target and the like) usually keep around 13 percent of each gift-card dollar sold.

So that adds up to around, say, a $260 million-dollar market size for physical iTunes cards split among participating retailers, of which Facebook will now be an active participant. That pie is small compared to Facebook's overall revenue ($3.71 billion in 2011), but another digital product with less overhead and high demand is definitely a win for Facebook's Gifts department.

Apple and Facebook have had a bit of a rocky history, with the two companies having sparred over Apple's efforts to offer Facebook integration in its failed Ping social networking service for iTunes. The companies have, however, been working more closely together recently, with systemwide Facebook integration now included in iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion.

Article Link: iTunes Digital Gift Cards Now Available Through Facebook

[Cubeeless]

Wow, now I will buy more Itunes giftcards

[bigcat318]

It's a Christmas miracle

[samcraig]

I'm surprised that you can't gift a specific song, movie or App - rather than a specific amount. Maybe that will be down the pike. Or maybe Apple doesn't want to give up a % of the revenue of people doing that via iTunes.

[Small White Car]

I think we're 5 years out from store clerks asking "Visa, Mastercard, or iTunes?"

In all 3 cases you'll make the transaction using an app on your phone, but my point is that Apple will soon be seen equally as 'Device Maker,' 'Media Seller,' and 'Credit Card Company.'

[Sk8-Rat]

and this is more important than iTunes 11!?!?

[Gubbz]

Can I gift outside of Europe yet, like my UK account to someones Australian account?

[extricated]

I'm sure this will be a big hit and a great move for the companies.

As for me, not a fan - but that has to do with my personal facebook "issues".
Maybe I'll see the light one day.

[apernett]

And that's because iTunes Store will be one year in about two or three weeks here in Latin America and no word on when the iTunes Gift Cards will arrive. Credit card usage here in this area is not strong. Debit card and prepaid methods are the kings here. Still waiting.

[viacavour]

Originally Posted by Sk8-Rat

and this is more important than iTunes 11!?!?

Not necessarily but it should be easier to test and roll out !

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

I think we're 5 years out from store clerks asking "Visa, Mastercard, or iTunes?"

In all 3 cases you'll make the transaction using an app on your phone, but my point is that Apple will soon be seen equally as 'Device Maker,' 'Media Seller,' and 'Credit Card Company.'

A) I hope not
B) They need to change the name of iTunes. Long overdue, no? They sell books, movies, apps, etc. iTunes is limiting.

[NachoGrande]

I'll pass..

[skadd]

holey moley, my heart skipped a beat when I entered the front page. I thought iTunes 11 was released.

[rorschach]

Originally Posted by Sk8-Rat

and this is more important than iTunes 11!?!?

Why do people act like the entire company only works on one thing at a time?

Every time there's news about something, people who don't like it inevitably make this kind of comment.

Apple has thousands of employees working on many different projects. Hardware engineers aren't taken away from the next MBP to litigate in court. iTunes developers are not dropping what they're working on to negotiate a partner ship with Facebook.

[goodcow]

Unless they routinely go on sale for 15% to 20% off like Best Buy offers them, this is pointless.

[AdeFowler]

Originally Posted by samcraig

A) I hope not
B) They need to change the name of iTunes. Long overdue, no? They sell books, movies, apps, etc. iTunes is limiting.

Why change the name of something that everyone's familiar with? That would be marketing madness.

[BRyken]

Thank god, I could never find iTunes gift cards before...

[ZacNicholson]

this is kind of cool. i think its mostly for those teen girls who just never leave facebook though

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by samcraig

B) They need to change the name of iTunes. Long overdue, no? They sell books, movies, apps, etc. iTunes is limiting.

Just like how Amazon only sells fish and freshwater plants, eh?

[Fruit Cake]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

I think we're 5 years out from store clerks asking "Visa, Mastercard, or iTunes?"

In all 3 cases you'll make the transaction using an app on your phone, but my point is that Apple will soon be seen equally as 'Device Maker,' 'Media Seller,' and 'Credit Card Company.'

I sure hope not

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by Sk8-Rat

and this is more important than iTunes 11!?!?

It’s possible that different people have been working on iTunes 11 vs. working on Facebook’s cards. Apple has a lot of different people they hire.

I hope the people working on iTunes 11 take their time: a predicted timeframe, met or missed, means little to me vs. the quality of the product.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Just like how Amazon only sells fish and freshwater plants, eh?

Really - you're comparing the name Amazon to iTunes as far as what it indicates what is being sold?

Forget that fact that one is a company name and the other is a product.

Context is important. I find your comment silly. At least the other OP pointed out a marketing challenge with changing the name. One that could be overcome. But your response?

[coolfactor]

Doesn't seem to be available to me... is this only available in the US? I'm in Canada. The Gifts section says "Coming Soon".

----------

Originally Posted by BRyken

Thank god, I could never find iTunes gift cards before...

I just want to be able to buy a virtual card for myself, not drive down to the local store to get one.

----------

Originally Posted by Small White Car

I think we're 5 years out from store clerks asking "Visa, Mastercard, or iTunes?"

In all 3 cases you'll make the transaction using an app on your phone, but my point is that Apple will soon be seen equally as 'Device Maker,' 'Media Seller,' and 'Credit Card Company.'

In 5 years, it'll be "Please hold still while I scan your retinas"...

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by samcraig

Forget that fact that one is a company name and the other is a product.

iTunes and Amazon are both stores.

The Amazon company owns the Amazon store.
The Apple company owns the iTunes store.

I'm talking about the stores, you can't just cherry-pick stuff from the left and the right and mix them together. Pick a side.

Originally Posted by samcraig

Really - you're comparing the name Amazon to iTunes as far as what it indicates what is being sold?

You're the one who indicated that what a store is named tells you what they're supposed to sell.

I'm simply asking, does that apply to all stores? (Target?) If not, why not? Why just iTunes?

Originally Posted by samcraig

I find your comment silly.

Well, explain to me why Amazon and Target are allowed to sell anything, but iTunes is only allowed to sell Tunes.

Once I have a good answer to that question I'll take back my silly statement.

[Teh Don Ditty]

Originally Posted by coolfactor

I just want to be able to buy a virtual card for myself, not drive down to the local store to get one.

You can already buy them online on Apple's website or via iTunes...