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Apple Offering Up to 3 Free Months of Apple Arcade With Holiday Gift Card Purchase

Apple is offering U.S. customers who purchase and redeem an Apple Gift Card three months of free access to Apple Arcade. Holiday gift card purchases made before January 6, 2026 are eligible for the ‌Apple Arcade‌ trial, as long as the card is redeemed by January 13, 2026.

apple arcade gift card promo
The offer is available to new or qualified returning ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers, but it is not an option for existing ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers. New subscribers can try ‌Apple Arcade‌ for three months, while returning subscribers get two months of access.

There is no minimum denomination required for the gift card purchase, and the gift card can be acquired from the Apple retail store or Apple online store. Apple gift cards from third-party retailers or new value added to an Apple Account balance are not eligible for the ‌Apple Arcade‌ trial. Only one trial per Apple Account is available.

Apple will provide the bonus code immediately after gift card redemption to an Apple Account balance. An Apple Account with a payment method on file is required, and the plan will automatically renew at $6.99 per month unless it is canceled.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is Apple's subscription gaming service, offering over 200 games with no in-app fees or ads. Up to six family members can access ‌Apple Arcade‌ with a single subscription.

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Top Rated Comments

10 months ago
Everyone remain calm! There's enough 3 Free Months of Apple Arcade for everybody.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10 months ago
Just give it up, Apple - seriously. Bury that corpse already.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10 months ago

Apple Arcade provides supportive compensation for fledging game developers.

It's not trying to be the Xbox and Playstation platforms of the world. Quality over Quantity is the emphasis.

Isn't it much more pleasant to play games without intrusive ads, and pressure to buy stuff after every gameplay? That, alone, is a huge market.
Or the fledgling game developers could just sell their games for a one-time price with no IAP, no subscriptions, etc! I’d gladly support them if that were the case. What a novel concept.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10 months ago

Just give it up, Apple - seriously. Bury that corpse already.
Apple Arcade provides supportive compensation for fledging game developers.

It's not trying to be the Xbox and Playstation platforms of the world. Quality over Quantity is the emphasis.

Isn't it much more pleasant to play games without intrusive ads, and pressure to buy stuff after every gameplay? That, alone, is a huge market.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
10 months ago
Lose the three months of Apple Arcade and you got yourself a deal.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10 months ago

Apple Arcade provides supportive compensation for fledging game developers.

It's not trying to be the Xbox and Playstation platforms of the world. Quality over Quantity is the emphasis.

Isn't it much more pleasant to play games without intrusive ads, and pressure to buy stuff after every gameplay? That, alone, is a huge market.
You gotta be kidding me. Go check the App Store RIGHT NOW and tell me which “fledging” developers are on the first page as opposed to IAP scum such as Candy Crush. If Apple were really about supporting them, you wouldn’t see the same monetizing crap and “recommended” games every single day.

And quality over quantity? Even Netflix FREE games are a thousand times better than anything on AA, without IAPs or ads.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)