As the TechCrunch Network’s resident mobile guy, I was given the task of writing up a list of apps for each smartphone platform that you ought to buy as little e-stocking stuffers for your loved ones. It was to be my primary contribution to CrunchGear’s ultra-amazing Holiday Gift Guide; my festively themed magnum opus.
But there’s a problem with this idea: it can’t be done. It’s not because I’m lazy (which may be true), nor because I don’t have any apps to recommend (which most certainly is not). I can’t recommend apps for you to buy for others, because you can’t buy apps for others.
Be it the Apple App Store, Android Market, Palm App Catalog, or BlackBerry App World, it’s bah-humbugs all around. The App Store is the only one that even gets close, allowing you to buy gift cards. Whilst many a geek would likely prefer the gift cards, there’s a big chunk of the world that equates giving a gift card to handing someone a piece of paper that reads “I didn’t really put much thought into this. Merry Christmas!”
Apple seems to be the one who could address this with the least effort, by making use of their redeemable promo code system. Currently reserved for dishing out promo copies of applications and claiming gift cards purchased online, it doesn’t seem like it would be insurmountably difficult to adapt for these purposes. Let people build “gift packs” of apps for friends (which would be much less difficult if Apple hadn’t done away with the Shopping Cart in iTunes 9), pay for them up front, and then generate a promo code which can be sent to the gift recipient. The recipient won’t know what they’re getting until the promo code is redeemed, making it about as close to opening a meatspace present as you get in the virtual world. Apple has a gifting setup in place for just about everything on iTunes besides apps.
BlackBerry and Palm aren’t too far behind – though they don’t have a code redemption system set up, they do offer up their entire app catalog online for perusal by anyone without a compatible handset. Android lacks both a redemption system and an off-handset catalog (outside of the few hundred apps they feature on the Market site). The closest bet you’ve got for any of these three would be PayPal’ing your buddy a few bucks with a list of Apps – but at that point, why bother?
It scares me to think about how much potential revenue is being thrown away here by ignoring would-be gift givers. In a time when many are cutting back their shopping lists to their family and closest of friends, the friendly pricing of apps makes them a perfectly opportune way to say “Hey, I still think you’re great”. No wrapping or shipping required.
FYI – Gift cards aren’t even an option for us in Canada. Only US based gift cards are applicable to the App Store.
Canadian iTunes gift cards work for music and movies only, not apps.
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Really?? I’ve been able to use gift cards for apps since they’ve been around in Mexico (just a couple of months now).
Thank you.
I stand corrected. Canadian iTunes Gift Cards do not work for purchasing apps. Unless things have changed
since one month ago.
I guess other countries have had better luck with this.
Which begs the question, Hey Apple: Why Do You Hate Canada?
And Amazon with their Kindle (at least earlier).
I think we all may forget that companies have to follow the laws of the respective countries they conduct business in.
This isn’t unheard of so I trust it is true from source I received it from.
I do think part of it could be that Apple didn’t want to pay out certain taxes too, as they do add up and have to be claimed and taxed by the IRS (double taxation) so….
and thus:
Hi,
Thank you for contacting Apple about the App Store. We’re so glad you’re interested in this new offering. My name is Natalie and I am delighted to assist you today!
Due to tax laws and commerce restrictions for software in Canada, customers residing in Canada may only purchase games and applications using a credit card.
I’m sorry, but you will not be able to purchase games or applications with store credit or an iTunes Gift Card in Canada.
If you have any other concerns surrounding this, feel free to include them in your reply and I’ll do my best to assist you.
Again, I apologize for this disappointment, I hope that you continue to enjoy the iTunes Store.
It has been my pleasure assisting you. If I can further assist you in any way, you can always reach me for support Sunday-Thursday from 6 a.m to 3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. You may be receiving an Apple Customer Service survey email in 3 to 5 days. Please feel free to leave comments of your experience with my assistance. Take care and have an excellent day!
Yours Faithfully,
Natalie
iTunes Store Customer Support, CA
This is also a problem I’ve found with the kindle. All these services assume that gift cards are thoughtful (and they’re not).
I suppose the main problem would be – what happens if you buy a gift app for someone and they already own it, then they (Apple etc) have to deal with refunds etc.
The other option would be to stop you purchasing a particular app for someone because they already have it, but that would probably violate some privacy law or something. e.g. “haha so-and-so has ‘Asian upskirts 3′ already, what a pervert.”
Steam handles this by letting you re-gift things you have multiple copies of.
Kindle has this problem as well. I can purchase a book off of somoene’s wishlist. But if they are a Kindle owner, I cannot “whispergift” it to them eletronically… I can only send a hard copy. This is a huge missed opportunity for Apple, Google, Amazon and the like.
You’re so right that Apple is tantalizingly close to being able to do this. We’ll give away some of our journalist promo codes for our own Learnl games but only developers can do that.
The codes are a somewhat elegant system waiting for the next minor step.
I don’t think the refund issue is difficult. Apple could simply credit the recipient’s account with the price of the gift.
Nailed it. Nice write-up, Greg.
I would easily spend $50 sending each of my friends two or three apps. It’s a fun way to say: “I’m thinking of you” without having the awkward – “Oh, I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts” moment. And everyone knows it’s a buck or two, so it’s not a big deal.
Great idea!!!
A few months ago I purchased an album for someone as a gift, and I was informed that the recipient had already purchased it, so that piece is in place in the iTunes store.
I’m probably the wrong person to comment here since I don’t have an iPhone, Droid or Blackberry, but it seems to me that apps are a very personal choice.. why would I trust someone else to buy a bunch of apps that will be installed on my device?
Apps are also usually so cheap, and so fun to explore (so I hear), so what’s the point of having somebody else choose and buy them for you?
Adding some social networking to the app stores would be cool, though – eg to be able to see which of your friends have and like various apps while you’re exploring. Even cooler would be to provide a link so people can buy apps for others and send them a one-click (prepaid?) link to buy themselves the app.
Cheers,
Tobais
oops!!! This apple monster looks too scary…
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A meatspace present?
Ugh. What a terrible metaphor for reality.
Good points, guys. Give this idea push! Maybe they can make it by the holiday season if they hurry. It is simple money making proven no brainer method, and shouldn’t be too hard to implement?
It’s obvious that Google hates Christmas…they can’t even acknowledge it on their home page…good grief, it’s Christmas Day, they acknowledge every other two-bit who-cares holiday out there – and yet we STILL get a generic holiday page _ON_ Christmas Day?
Dunno about Apple and the others… (and I know this wasn’t the angle your article was taking, but maybe it’s not completely unrelated after all…)
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