9to5mac:
Apple today has launched an interesting new service for iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore users in Japan with iPhones and iPod touches. The new service, called iTunes Pass (no, not that iTunes Pass), allows users to go to an Apple Store in Japan, purchase credit in-store for the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore, and have that money immediately applied to the Apple ID account instead of needing to receive a gift card and enter a redemption code.
Apple continues to do everything they can to simplify the process of adding money to your iTunes account. Have you ever used your camera to add a gift card to your account? It’s a magical experience.
Here’s one way to do this: On your Mac, go to the the iTunes store and click the Redeem link on the home page. Enter your password, if asked, then notice the Use Camera button in the center of the screen. Click it, then hold the gift card so the camera can see it.
Keep your eye on the screen. You can watch iTunes figure out where the card number is on your gift card. Once it finds it, iTunes digitizes and verifies the number, and adds the gift card amount to your account. Worth buying a gift card just to experience this.
You can do this for free with Starbucks’ free song or app cards — if they have a black box around the code, you can camera-scan them.
The Camera Scan works on iPhones, iPads, iPods touches as well as Mac OS…
So… maybe it’s a Japanese cultural thing.
I don’t understand why this is even a thing, compared to “pay for things with a CC and get billed”.
I mean, unless there’s a huge cash market in Japan that is using this as a clearinghouse, which is not my understanding of how Japan works…
I’m baffled by this too. I suppose there’s a small portion of the population that uses smartphones but doesn’t use debit or credit cards, but that’s a hell of a niche to spend effort on.
I often wonder how much plastic, paper, petrol (distribution) is wasted moving iTunes gift cards around the world.