Are you are one of the millions of consumers that has received a gift card from a store you hate as a gift or prize win and it is still in your wallet, or in a drawer collecting dust? If you have little use for it and would rather have the cash, or trade it for a store that you really like, there are websites online solely dedicated to helping you get the gift-card you desire.
There are websites online where you can swap for the card of your choice, sell it for up to 90 percent of the cards actual value, or even auction it .
The gift-card market is estimated to be nearly $60 billion, and experts say 10% to 15% of gift cards go unused. Consumer Reports' ShopSmart found seven websites where you can sell your cards for cash and the best of the seven that offered the most money were; Plastic Jungle and Card Pool.
ShopSmart found you could get cash at each of the sites for a number of gift-cards including Applebee's, Bath & Body Works, Gap, Kohl's, Macy's, Payless, Pier 1, and Wal-Mart. For a $50 Gap card, prices averaged from $32.50 to $40 .There isn't a site that always has the best deals, so you've got to shop around. The sites will also let you purchase gift-cards at a discount.
By comparison, ShopSmart estimates that Wal-Mart's gift-card was the most valuable and got the most money on the sites.
If you want more control over how you sell your gift cards, try auctioning them on eBay. There are so many different cards available on eBay, that they are separated into various categories, and even by retailer to make your auctioning experience easier.
When making a deal you have to be mindful when buying or trading gift cards. Be sure to look for a guarantee on the site or from the seller. If there is no guarantee, you could be out of luck if the card turns out to be invalid or if it has less than the stated value.
Also be very careful with the card after you receive it. Buying or trading for cards has an unforeseen consequence. And that is if you lose that gift-card, you won't be able to replace it because you don't have the original receipt.
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