Gift Cards vs Direct Subscriptions: Which Is Better?

Gift cards add credit to an account; a direct subscription activates the plan itself.

Gift cards

• Often region-locked — they work only for accounts in the matching country.
• Usually sold at or near face value.
• Great as presents.

Direct subscriptions

• Activate the exact plan you want.
• No region mismatch when delivered on your own account.
• Can be discounted below the official price through resellers.

Watch out for

• Gift cards from unofficial marketplaces can be revoked if they were bought with stolen cards.
• Some services don't let gift-card credit pay for every plan type.
• Unused credit usually can't be refunded.

Our advice

If your account's region matches available gift cards, they're simple. Otherwise, a direct plan is less hassle — see AIOFFER deals.