Request to reset Apple ID balance to change region

The people on this forum are Apple products users like yourself and cannot empty your account balance for you. There are two ways you can try:

#1. If your account’s current country allows you to add a credit or debit card, purchase an item (not a subscription) worth slightly more than your balance. Your balance will be emptied and the excess owed will be billed to your card. This method is the easiest and you get to use all your money instead of just giving it to Apple.

#2. To ask Apple Support to remove and keep the balance:

- 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. Telephone numbers may only work when calling from the same country. 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 method #1 is the only way to empty your balance. If you can neither add a flexible payment method nor contact Apple, your alternative is to create a new Apple Account when you are in the new country. Avoid doing that if at all possible as it may cause many complications with your current account content and resetting equipment.

When changing account regions there’s a full set of guidelines in this support article ➔

https://support.apple.com/118283

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

Hello ~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~

Hello,

This is a user to user forum, you are not addressing Apple support here. We cannot reset your balance here.

To reset it, buy something more expensive than your balance and pay the rest with a credit card. If you don't have enough for a single item and cannot add a credit card to your Apple Account, then you need to contact Apple Support so they can clear it for you.

click here ➜ Contact Apple Support to have your Apple Account balance cleared.

The article https://support.apple.com/HT201389 describes how to change your Apple ID country or region, and the requirements and results of doing this.

You may encounter various issues and here is how to deal with them:

● Remove all your Apple Account balance using one of the two ways I posted about earlier.

● Subscriptions

Make sure all subscriptions have been canceled (see: https://support.apple.com/HT202039 ) and have fully expired. If you do not want to wait, you will need to contact Apple and request any ongoing items you have to be ended immediately.

● Payment Methods.

In the first link above, Apple says: "You might need to enter a valid payment method for your new country or region.” Refer to the list in: https://support.apple.com/111741 Note that some payment methods in that list may not be acceptable to set as a payment method for country change purposes; for example, account balance. While Apple has through the years avoided making any unequivocal statement about the country origins of such a payment method, using one from a financial institution in your new country may be the easiest way to ensure you don’t run into problems.

● Pending purchases and refunds

If you have pending purchases, or refunds in the process of being returned to you, you will have to wait until these clear. You can canel a pre-order (see: https://support.apple.com/118414 )

● Leave or disband any Family Sharing groups.

Refer to https://support.apple.com/HT201081

● Read this support article If your Apple ID or other options are greyed out in Settings —> https://support.apple.com/HT213770

For items where you need to contact Apple to resolve an issue, see if there are options for a live chat or telephone call at the bottom of this page --> https://support.apple.com/HT201232 Select your country. Not all countries have all options and telephone numbers tend to only work when calling from the same country.