Apple Offering Up to 3 Free Months of Apple Arcade With Holiday Gift Card Purchase - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

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.

Popular Stories

iOS App Store General Feature Clorange

Apple's App Store Chief Explains Its Push for Premium Games

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:58 pm PDT by
More premium games are launching on the App Store this year than last, Apple's App Store Worldwide head Carson Oliver told Polygon, including more franchises coming from PC and consoles. Oliver said: We've seen incredible growth of games coming to the App Store, in general, with more premium games releasing on the App Store this year than last. While many of those are indies, we're also...
crossy road rush

Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27

Thursday November 5, 2026 2:12 pm PST by
Apple today added several new games to Apple Arcade, including Crossy Road Rush, NBA 2K27 Arcade Edition, Kami 2+, and Food Stylist - Design Game+. Crossy Road Rush is the latest game in the popular Crossy Road series. Players will make their way across an island obstacle course and unlock fun characters. The game supports up to four players in local or online multiplayer, as well as solo...
iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...

Top Rated Comments

12 months ago
Everyone remain calm! There's enough 3 Free Months of Apple Arcade for everybody.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12 months ago
Just give it up, Apple - seriously. Bury that corpse already.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12 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)
12 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
12 months ago
Lose the three months of Apple Arcade and you got yourself a deal.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12 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)
Latest Stories
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
11 minutes ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
33 minutes ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
1 hour ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
2 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
2 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
3 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
3 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
3 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
12 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
22 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
4 days ago