How can I clear my Apple Account balance to change country/region?

Welcome and thank you for reaching out. 🤗

According to Apple:

Before you update your Apple Account location:

• Spend any remaining Apple Account balance: You can spend your remaining balance on the App Store, other Apple services or in some countries and regions, Apple products and accessories. If you’re not sure if you have a balance, check your Apple Account balance.
• Clear a low Apple Account balance: If your balance is less than the cost of a single item in the App Store or other Apple services, learn how to clear your balance.
• Cancel subscriptions that block a country or region change: Cancel any subscriptionsthat block a country or region change, then wait until the end of the subscription period. 
• Wait for pending activity to clear: Wait for any memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals or Season Passes to complete. You can cancel a pre-order. Also wait for any pending refunds from Apple to process.
• Check your Family Sharing status: If you’re a part of a Family Sharing group, you might not be able to change your country or region. Learn how to leave a Family Sharing group.
• Have a valid payment method ready: You might need to enter a valid payment method for your new country or region. If you don’t want to enter a payment method, wait until you're physically in your new country or region. Then create a new Apple Account.
• Redownload your content: Some types of content might not be available in your new country or region. Redownload your apps, music, movies, TV shows and books on any devices that you might use to play or read them in the future.

If you cancel your Apple One or iCloud+ subscription, learn what happens to your information stored in iCloud. After updating your Apple Account payment details, you can resubscribe to these services in your new location, if available in your country or region.

How to change your country or region

You can change your Apple Account location using your device or on the web.

On iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro

1. In Settings, tap your name.
2. Tap Media & Purchases. You might need to sign in to your Apple Account.
3. Tap Country/Region.
4. Select your new country or region.
5. Tap Continue.
6. Review the Terms & Conditions, then tap Agree.
7. Select a payment method and enter your new payment information and billing address, then tap Done.

On Mac

1. Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app.
2. From the Account menu in the menu bar, choose Account Settings. You might need to sign in to your Apple Account.
3. Click Country/Region.
4. Select your new country or region.
5. Click Continue.
6. Review the Terms & Conditions, then click Agree.
7. Select a payment method and enter your new payment information and billing address, then click Done.

On Windows PC

1. Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app.
2. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar. Or, click Sign In and sign in to your Apple Account.
3. Click View My Account. You might need to sign in to your Apple Account.
4. Click Change Country or Region.
5. Select your new country or region.
6. Review the Terms & Conditions, then click Agree.
7. Select a payment method and enter your new payment information and billing address, then click Continue.

On the web

1. Sign in to account.apple.com.
2. Select Personal Information.
3. Select Country/Region.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If you can’t change your country or region

Make sure that you canceled your subscriptions, waited for pending activity to clear and spent your account balance.

If you have less store credit than the cost of a single item

If your balance is less than the cost of a single item in the App Store or other Apple services, contact Apple Support to clear your balance.

If cash refunds are required by law

You can’t redeem or return Apple Gift Cards, App Store Gift Cards, or unused Apple Account balance for cash, except as required by law. If your jurisdiction allows for refund of redeemed gift balances, you can contact Apple Support to request a refund. When you contact Apple, include the primary email address that you use to sign in to your Apple Account.

If you need more help, contact Apple Support directly.

Good Luck! 👋🏼😉

Smiliñ 😎 Brian | Community Volunteer

To empty your balance, add an external payment method (e.g., a card) to buy an item (not a subscription) priced more than your balance. The difference owed will be billed to your card, leaving nothing in your account. Review:

- Payment types you can use —> https://support.apple.com/HT202631

- How to add a payment type —> https://support.apple.com/HT201266

Another way is to ask Apple to remove and retain the balance. The people responding here are Apple product customers like yourself and cannot do this for you. Contact methods:

- Click on the special empty-balance-request chat link at the bottom of this support article ➔ https://support.apple.com/119902#zerobalance

- General Apple support and service contact ➔ https://support.apple.com/106932 If live support options are available they will show near the bottom left. If numbers show as colored links, click on them for more options.

- With an iPhone, iPad, or Vision, you may be able to chat using the Apple Support App if it is available in your country ➔ https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

If you cannot contact Apple then the first method is the only way to empty your balance. If neither method works then you will have to create a new Apple Account when you are in the new country.

Additional changing-account-region support article ➔ https://support.apple.com/118283

Hello ~ We are not Apple Support but your fellow forum members. We can point you in the right direction though. If you are trying to zero your balance before changing regions…you may purchase an item from the App Store for more than your balance and the remainder will be billed to your credit card on file thus zeroing your balance . You may also go to lower left hand corner and click on Support and they can zero it for you or…

Contact Apple for support and service

Also if you are changing regions take a look through this article as well…

Change your Apple ID country or region - Apple Support

~Katana-San~

You have 2 possibilities to clear the account balance:

• Add a payment method in your current region and make a purchase where it will first clear your balance with the remainder billed to the card added.

or

• Contact Apple directly and they can clear the balance. Support varies by region, so this may not be an option for you if direct support is not available. You can check here:

Contact Apple Support - Apple Support