Code in the iOS 27 Release Candidate indicates Apple will add an NFC-based way to redeem Apple gift cards by tapping them on the back of a compatible iPhone, and a demo of the feature has now surfaced, though the functionality does not appear to be live.
How Apple gift cards NFC redemption works
Karta co-founder David Anderson found a workaround to make the new gift card interface appear on iOS 27 and shared a video of it on his LinkedIn page.
According to the code and the demonstration, new Apple gift cards will include fine print on the bottom saying “hold iPhone here to redeem,” which triggers an automatic redemption flow on iOS 27. From that interface users can check a card’s balance and redeem it; the fine print also notes customers can still visit apple.com/redeem for manual redemption.
Customers are instructed to hold the top, rear side of their iPhone near the bottom of the Apple gift card to initiate NFC-based redemption.
iOS 27 code indicates that during the redemption process Apple will verify the card is authentic and unspent. For security reasons the interface may show “this card has been blocked” or “cancelled” if necessary. NFC-based redemption will seemingly help to combat Apple gift card scams, but not all details are available yet.
iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, all of which support NFC, so the new redemption method should be widely available. The feature has not been announced by Apple and no launch date is known.
