Did you know that there are billions of dollars’ worth of gift cards lying around unused in the USA? A great way to make extra cash is to sell your unused or unwanted gift cards. You can sell your gift cards for instant cash. Every year billions of dollars’ worth of gift cards go unused, lost or damaged. Gift card industry is a big business in the USA. Perhaps you may have some sitting around in your house or office desk’s drawer. Why not sell them and rake in some cash?
There are many merchants or companies online and offline that will buy your gift cards and pay you money immediately. This blog post will tell you where and how to sell your unwanted gift cards to make some extra cash.
What are Gift Cards and Where to Use Them?
Gift cards have cash value and they are like credit or debit cards, with magnetic strips on the back of the cards. A gift card is pre-loaded with credit or money. It can have a $20, $50, $100, etc. cash value. Gift card holders can spend up to each of the card’s value or credit limit at the designated stores, shops, etc. places.
Each valid gift card can be used at the participating company or affiliated companies. For example, if you have a gift card issued by Starbucks Coffee Company, it may be used at any Starbuck store. However, if there is no specific mention of any store, shop etc. you can use it whenever and wherever you choose. Generally, most of these gift cards have no expiration date, meaning the owners can use them at their convenience. However, some of the gift cards are only valid for a year from the issuing date.
Don’t feel like you have to use every gift card you receive. While gift cards can be a nice gift and a thoughtful gesture, sometimes, you may find that you just need cold hard cash instead.
If you would rather want cash instead of using them, you can get rid of your unwanted gift cards into much-needed cash. Some sites or companies will buy your unused gift cards and pay you directly while others are a marketplace that directly connects buyers with sellers.
Where to Sell Your Unwanted Gift Cards
Many people either do not intend to use gift cards or they just do not go to the merchants that have issued the gift cards. Some people do not simply have time to use these cards. What they can do is take these cards to a shop or company that buys, sells and exchanges gift cards. They can also sell them online.
You can easily sell your unused gift cards to any company that buys and sell gift cards. You can even sell your partially used gift cards that still have some money on them. These companies offer up to a certain percent of face value of the gift cards. For example, you can get up to 90% value of a gift card worth $50 or $100 when you sell it.
If you have 10 unused or unwanted gift cards then you could earn a lot of extra cash by selling those gift cards. There are many people who have tons of gift cards that they do not want to use or do not have the time to make use of them. They can easily sell these cards to earn a decent amount of cash. Here is a list of the top sites I have found that make it possible to sell unused, unwanted or even partially used gift cards online:
To sell your gift cards online on most sites, all you need to do is enter the brand of the gift card, gift card number and balance on it to get an offer or sell it directly and receive payment electronically. You can sell any gift card – new, i.e. unused, or partially used.
Another Option
If you don’t have a ton of gift cards lying around like many of us, consider buying discounted gift cards online then selling them to make a profit. Raise and Gift Card Granny are great sites use to buy discounted gift cards.
Now, you’ll need to spend a little money upfront to get started with this and you’ll have to make sure you sell your gift cards for more than you purchased them for (or else this won’t work), but it’s an easy way to make some extra money each month.
Final Words
Gift cards are more than just gift cards as you can use it in many ways. Selling your unused and unwanted gift cards is one of the best ways to make good use of it. Because gift cards have cash value, they are used widely as a form of payment. Selling gift cards that you do not need or want to use is a great way to earn some extra cash.
Do you have any unused gift cards lying around? Have you ever sold any gift cards before?
Francesca - From Pennies to Pounds says
I have done this, and I’ve bought unused giftcards for much less as well 🙂
Oliver @ Appreneurinvestor.com says
Thanks for your suggestions. I’ve only heard of CardCash.com but I’ll explore the other sites too.