Wanting to Ditch Some Unwanted Gift Cards?

Sometimes, people give you gift cards that miss the mark. You might be a vegan who received a gift card to a surf and turf restaurant. Thinking you would enjoy a cruise, a relative might give you a gift card for a small amount, not realizing you aren’t willing to pay the high remaining cost. Whatever the reason is you have unwanted gift cards, you don’t have to resign yourself to using them as bookmarks or tossing them in a junk drawer. Instead, you can sell gift cards online for cash and then use that money to pay for items or services you actually want—even invest. Let’s go over several methods for selling gift cards online, what you can get for your gift cards, and other options for what to do with unwanted gift cards. Don’t let a disappointing gift card get you down. You can still turn it into something you would have chosen yourself.

Can You Sell Unused Gift Cards Online?

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Yes, you can sell unused gift cards. Note that selling gift cards online may require the selling price to be lower than the gift card’s value. This can still be a great option if you have unwanted gift cards you know you won’t use.

What Can You Get With Unwanted Gift Cards?

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Just because you got a gift card you won’t ever use doesn’t mean it isn’t worth something. You can exchange these gifts for other items that will better align with what you’d like. Check next with the several options you’ve got for what you can get for your gift card instead of unused store credit.

1. Cash

Exchanging your gift cards for cash means you can do whatever you want with that money. Depending on the site and your preferences, you might receive your cash via check or direct deposit.

PayPal Account Credit

A PayPal account credit is an extremely popular way to redeem your earnings from selling gift cards. You can quickly receive your money and spend it through your PayPal account or transfer funds to a bank account.

Stocks and ETFs

Not all sites let you buy stocks and ETFs with a gift card, but this is a great option when it’s available. Using your money this way means you can significantly increase its value. Best Stock Trading Apps + Platforms

Discounts

Discount websites are for buyers and sellers, so you can easily sell gift cards and use the balance to purchase discounted cards for retailers or brands you regularly shop with. Some sites let you trade gift cards to get a better deal.

Prepaid Credit Cards

A prepaid credit card, such as a prepaid Mastercard, can be used like cash anywhere the credit card provider is accepted. Pro tip: sometimes you can use a prepaid credit card for subscription services you don’t want to accidentally renew. Best Prepaid Debit Cards for Kids and Teens

How to Sell Gift Cards

Next, we’ll cover the six different ways you can sell your gift cards online. As discussed previously, these options will offer you several ways to swap your gift cards for items, cash, investments, or discounts that are more in line with what you’d like.

1. CardCash

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CardCash helps people use discounted gift cards to save money. As the seller, you can get paid for unwanted gift cards or trade them for other gift cards. As the buyer, you get discounts on gift cards and save money at your favorite stores, restaurants, and entertainment. To start selling, simply check the Sell & Earn circle and enter the gift card’s store name and balance. You’ll be presented with a cash payout amount, an option for a prepaid MasterCard, or gift cards from a variety of other retailers. If you choose cash, you can receive a check in the mail, PayPal, or ACH deposit. It’s that simple! Plus, for buyers, the website offers a 45-day guarantee policy to return gift cards. If the current gift card balance is less than advertised, you can get a full refund. 50+ Best Money-Making Apps That Pay You Real Money

2. Raise

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Raise lets you sell gift cards online in the following three simple steps: 1. Search for your store. 2. List your gift card for sale. You set the selling price, meaning you choose how much cash is worth it to you. 3. Get paid via direct deposit or PayPal when it sells. Buyers can earn Raise Cash instantly for buying face-value cards to use on future orders. Plus, earn 10% back in Raise Cash when you send gift cards to others. There’s an option to set up brand alerts to track prices for the best deals. Extra savings can be unlocked with promo codes and free shipping. Raise has a one-year money-back guarantee 1 Year Money-Back Guarantee from the date of purchase on all gift cards. It covers gift cards that aren’t active or have an inaccurate balance. You will also be reimbursed if the gift card is the wrong brand, like getting a Best Buy gift card when you bought one for Target. You can download the Raise app on Google Play or the Apple App Store to quickly add gift cards from your phone. This way, you can open a gift card as a holiday present during dinner and have it listed before dessert. 14 Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up [Free Money]

3. ClipKard

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ClipKard touts itself as the first gift card rewards system on the market. While other websites focus on selling gift cards online, ClipKard has you ship the physical card. The steps are as follows: 1. Enter the brand and gift card number to see how much money and rewards points you would get. 2. Mail your gift cards. ClipKard provides two shipping options: — 2a. Choose USPS First Class mail, and ClipKard provides a prepaid USPS shipping label. — 2b. Choose USPS Priority shipping and the shipping cost is deducted from your final payment. 3. Get paid and earn rewards. Your money can be paid through PayPal or a mailed check. Reward points equal the value of your purchase or sale. Every 1,000 reward points can be redeemed for an additional $10 discount on purchases. Shopping earns points as well. As a seller, you will get the most value for your money if you buy gift cards on the site as well. ClipKard has a 60-day guarantee to ensure customers receive the correct cards. 7 Best Wealth + Net Worth Tracker Apps [View All Your Assets]

4. Plynk Invest

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Plynk^™ is an app designed to help you start investing and learn along the way. The Plynk app helps investors put their money into an investment portfolio. You can invest with as little as $1, and trade stocks, funds, and crypto commission-free**—all in one app. The platform uses straightforward, easy-to-understand language to explain investing concepts. No jargon. No complex charts and tables. Just simple-language tips and how-tos. One of Plynk’s most interesting features involves, of all things, gift cards. Specifically, you can redeem unused gift cards for money that you can use to buy stocks in your favorite companies. If this sounds interesting to you, consider opening an account with Plynk. To make it more worth your while, they have a few special offers. Best Investment Apps for Beginners

5. Fidelity Bloom

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Fidelity Bloom^® is a unique free mobile app and debit card that comes with two brokerage accounts—one for saving, one for spending—and pays you to save. Fidelity Bloom^® aims to simplify your finances by separating your savings from your day-to-day spending money. The app also helps you build better financial habits by educating you about your spending and motivating you to save more. When you download Fidelity Bloom^®, you’re opening two brokerage accounts: Fidelity Bloom^® Spend and Fidelity Bloom^® Save. Spend is an account for your day-to-day spending, while Save helps you grow your savings. The accounts have no monthly fees, nor are you required to make a minimum deposit to open them. And do you have a gift card sitting around with $10 or more in unused funds? Fidelity, through third-party provider CardCash, allows you to convert that gift card into cash that’s deposited into your Save account. Fidelity Bloom^® also offers cash-back shopping with more than 1,000 popular retailers. You can use this feature through the app, or through your browser. Best Round-Up Savings Apps [Invest Your Spare Change]

6. Gameflip

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Gameflip is a marketplace for gamers that sells gift cards, games (and game items), private gaming coach sessions, movies, and blockchain assets. You can sell any unused, prepaid, and non-reloadable gift cards on the website. The most popular gift cards are Xbox Live, Steam, PSN, Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play cards. Gift cards don’t have to be for locations that sell games, though. People also sell gift cards for Krispy Kreme, Hulu, and other brands. Participants can list gift cards on the website or through the free mobile app. To sell gift cards or digital games, you’ll need a verified email address and be ID-verified. Gameflip recommends selling gift cards at a discount of 2% to 15% of the original amount. Depending on the popularity of the card, the price may need to be adjusted. Once the buyer receives your gift card code and rates you, your proceeds are immediately deposited into your Gameflip wallet. You can withdraw your money at any time. Sellers aren’t charged any membership or listing fees. Instead, after a listing is successfully sold, the site takes a small fee from the proceeds. Don’t worry, Gamelfip protects sellers from all chargebacks or frauds. Best Automatic Savings Apps

Other Options to Consider

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Regift Your Gift Cards You might receive a gift card for a retailer or brand you don’t particularly like, but know someone who would gladly accept the credit. In that situation, regift it! Give it to your child’s teacher to show appreciation, or pass it along to a friend for a birthday. Just make sure you check the expiration dates before regifting. While it’s an unlikely occurrence, gift cards can expire after five years, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). How to Give Stock as a Gift in a Tax-Efficient Way Exchange Your Gift Cards On the very same sites where you sell gift cards, you could buy more desirable gift cards at a discounted price as well. You can also trade gift cards to get more value. With these options, you aren’t losing any money overall. Donate Your Gift Cards If you’re feeling charitable, you could donate your gift cards. Consider donating to a local charity or using a website such as CardCash (detailed earlier). Sell Them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace You could try to sell your gift cards on eBay or Facebook Marketplace and skip the middleman, but this is a risky choice. The seller fees on eBay may be steep, especially since buyers are unlikely to pay the full price for your gift card. Using Facebook Marketplace means you could get scammed. Only use these sites if you can’t find any other way to sell unwanted gift cards.

Do Certain Gift Cards Carry Higher Resale Values Than Others?

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The most in-demand gift cards that resell at a higher value may vary by website. In general, gift cards that can be used at multiple places or double as cash may have higher resale values. For example, an Amazon or Mastercard gift card is easier to spend than gift cards for a store credit with one retailer.

How Can I Exchange Gift Cards for Cash?

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All of the services detailed in previous sections allow you to exchange gift cards for cash. Payment methods vary by site but often include options for ACH direct deposit, PayPal, or checks. Usually, you can simply enter your gift card information and wait for a buyer.

How Can I Get Paid for Gift Cards Immediately?

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When you sell gift cards online, you typically have multiple options for how to get paid. If you choose to get a check, it could take a long time to receive your money. Direct deposit and some other methods are secure and fast but usually not instant. If you want funds instantly, cashing out to PayPal is almost always the best option. Keep in mind that some sites may have a minimum redemption threshold. For example, you need a minimum of $10 on Plynk to cash out. How to Get Free Money Now [15 Ways to Earn Money] 10 Financial Gifts for Babies, Kids & Grandkids [No More Toys]