Recently, Apple allowed authors with books published on their iBookStore to use promo codes. A stable and very popular feature for iOS developers who published their apps in AppStore, promo codes were unavailable for iBookStore until now. I confess I was a bit confused on how to use these promo codes, since there is no iBooks app on Mac OS. Usually, I was using my iTunes on the Mac to redeem the promo codes for apps in AppStore, but without a similar thing for ibooks, I just had to scratch my head a bit.
Fortunately, it proved to be a much simpler process than I thought. In fact, it has only 2 simple steps. Here we go:
Step 1: Find The Redeem Button
For that, you should open the iBooks app (on your iPhone or iPad). If you’re on the “Library” mode, browsing the ebooks you already bought, touch the “Store” button and make sure you’re on the Apple store and not on your local device. Once you get there, touch the first tab button in the navigation tab bar on the bottom of the screen. It is the one called “Featured”. Now scroll all the way down to the bottom, and voila: the “Redeem” button magically appears.
Now, after touching the “Redeem” button, you’ll be taken to a new screen, pretty much similar with the one below:
After you entered your promo code, you will (hopefully) get a message saying that your item is downloading. What iBooks does is that it automatically matches the product with your promo code, looks it up in the store and starts downloading it. In a few seconds, if you have a good internet connection, your book will be available in the Library. Here’s how your iPhone screen should look like after the entire process finished:
That’s it. 🙂
Thanks for this! I was really stuck on trying to redeem codes to ensure that they worked. Now I just need to figure out if Austalian promo codes will work for Canada!
Will check out your eBooks.
Oh my Gorsh I found it…its in tiny weeny text at the bottom, under “Manage”
Poor Design
there is an ibooks OS X app. It takes you to the store. But do you see a redeem coupon button in that app anywhere?
I am an iBooks author and I have generated 50 coupons to give away. I have posted 20 so far. Is there a way to know which coupon codes have been used?
You’ll have to look in the statistics, it will say which ones are paid and which ones are free (those are coupons).
I am trying to create a new account on apple on my computer. I don’t have an ipad or iphone. I have a promo code that I would like to use but unable to enter my information on the new account of the apple site. How do I go about in doing this?
Thanks for this. I guess apple made it a bit more difficult so that they get more sales. Good and helpful post.
You have a comment in there:
make sure you’re on the Apple store and not on your local device.
How do I do that? I am in hte local store since I don’t see redeem button, but i have no option of switching to Apple store.
Thanks.
You have to tap the Store button, which will take you out from the Library section of the iBooks app.
Thanks for the steps, now I just need to finish my draft and publish it!
I’ve got a question from the other end 🙂
How do I, as an author, generate promo codes? Can’t find any info and the usually useful Google comes up with nothing
There’s a new button in the interface, pretty similar with the one you have on your regular app developer. Just log in, go to “Manage Your Books”, pick a book and you’ll see what I mean.