ZeroLeft

Can't change your App Store country because of a remaining balance?

Apple asks you to spend your remaining Apple balance before you change your Apple ID country. Enter what is left and see, with real App Store prices, whether it can go to exactly 0.

Balance check

  1. Where to see your balance

    In the App Store, tap your photo, initials, or the My Account button. If you have a balance, the amount appears below your name. Enter the amount exactly, including cents

  2. Spend it exactly

    Buy items whose prices add up to your balance to the last cent. ZeroLeft finds that combination from the App Store prices of your country, so the balance ends at 0 without a card. If no combination fits, buy one item just above your balance. Your card pays only the difference, and ZeroLeft shows that amount before you buy.

    Get ZeroLeft on the App Store

    Free to download. You only pay for the packs you buy, at App Store prices. Each pack adds stamps to a souvenir collection you keep.

  3. Then change your country

    Steps from Apple's support page.
    1. Spend your remaining Apple Account balance, and cancel any subscriptions that block a country or region change, then wait until the end of the subscription period
    2. Wait for any memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals, or Season Passes to complete, and for pending refunds to process
    3. In Settings, tap your name, then tap Media & Purchases
    4. Tap Country/Region, select your new country or region, then tap Continue
    5. Review the Terms & Conditions, then tap Agree
    6. Select a payment method and enter your new payment information and billing address, then tap Done
    7. If you don't want to enter a payment method, Apple says to wait until you're physically in your new country or region, then create a new Apple Account

    Apple Support: change your Apple Account country or region

Questions

Why Apple blocks the switch

Your Apple Account can change its country or region only after the balance on it is used up and nothing else is still running, such as a subscription or a pending refund. Apple lists every condition on its own support page.

Can I change my Apple ID country with a remaining balance?

No. Apple asks you to spend the balance first; it must be exactly 0. ZeroLeft finds purchases that add up to exactly your balance, and when the balance is below the cheapest item, one purchase where a card pays the rest brings it to 0.

How do I zero out my Apple balance without a credit card?

Often yes. If your balance is above the cheapest item, ZeroLeft looks for purchases that use it up exactly, paid only from your balance. The check above tells you for your amount.

Why can't I spend a leftover Apple balance of a few cents?

App Store prices follow fixed price points. In many countries the cheapest item costs more than a small leftover, so the balance cannot be spent on its own. Then one purchase brings it to exactly 0: the balance covers part and your card pays the rest.

What happens to my subscriptions?

Cancel any subscriptions that block a country or region change, then wait until the end of the subscription period. In Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions.

How does sales tax work in the United States and Canada?

Prices there are shown before tax and Apple adds tax to every purchase. ZeroLeft measures your exact tax with your real balance after a purchase. Each purchase is checked again, so a changed tax rate is caught at once

Is ZeroLeft made by Apple?

No. ZeroLeft is an independent app and is not affiliated with Apple. Purchases go through the App Store like any other in-app purchase.

Before you switch
  • Cancel any subscriptions that block a country or region change, then wait until the end of the subscription period. In Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions.
  • If you use Family Sharing, Apple charges your own Apple Account balance before the family organizer's payment method
  • If your balance doesn't cover a purchase, the remainder is charged to the family organizer when Purchase Sharing is on
  • If you're part of a Family Sharing group, you might not be able to change your country or region
Balance not 0 yet?
  • Wait for any pending refunds to process
  • Sign out of the App Store, then sign in and check the balance again
  • To see your purchases: in the App Store, tap your photo, initials, or the My Account button, tap Apps & Purchase History, then tap Purchase History
  • Enter the balance you see. ZeroLeft plans from that amount

Guides