What to Do with Unused Gift Cards

One way or another, you have probably given gift cards to your friends and family when you do not know what else to purchase for them. In the same way, you have probably received numerous gift cards on certain occasions. Perhaps you even have a few at hand right now.

Thousands of merchants sell gift cards, and although they are lovely to use for the discount, unwanted cards are a hassle. They stay in your wallet unused for a long time, while you feel guilty for the amount the gift card holds.

So, what can you do when you are stuck in this gift card dilemma?

Fortunately, there are a few solutions to this problem that would not let your cards go to waste. To give you an idea, here are a few things you could do with unused gift cards:

Sell Them

The best thing you can do with unwanted items that are still in excellent condition is to sell them.

Despite gift cards being one of the most requested gifts in the United States, there is over $45 Billion worth of cards left unused since 2005. With the massive amount of remaining gift cards, hundreds of online sites exist where you can sell them.

Online services like Gift Cards Xchange lets people sell gift cards quickly. Users input their card’s brand, how much it is worth, and wait to get an offer. It is ideally the best and quickest way you can get rid of cards, while still benefiting from it.

Exchange Them

Another way to get rid of your cards is to exchange it with another that you can use. Similar to selling gift cards, there are also websites designed to let you swap your gift cards for one that you like.

However, depending on the card that you get, you might end up paying additional fees if the other card has a more significant discount. In addition to this, there is a possibility that the new card would not work. So, you need to be careful when exchanging your cards.

Buy Something that You Can Sell or Give

If you cannot find an item you like that you can buy with the gift card, why not try purchasing an item that you can sell?

Find an item or a novelty that people are quick to buy and sell it online or to your friends. You can even charge a bit higher for the item you purchase so that you will profit from it. However, this procedure takes more time and effort compared to selling your cards online.

Apart from this, you can also buy an item using the gift card, which you can give to a friend or a loved one as a gift.

Regift The Card

Can you not use your card for yourself? Why not give it to someone who can?

Say you received a card for a clothing store that you do not shop in, but you know someone who does. You can quickly solve your problem by giving it to them instead. Although this will not directly benefit you as you would not get anything in return, you will at least save yourself a few bucks from not buying any gifts.

Looking at your options, the ideal way to get rid of unwanted or unused cards is by selling them. It is fast and easy, plus, you profit from it.

But whichever one you choose, whether it is to sell gift cards or exchange them, it is still the better option compared to letting it expire in your wallet or top drawer. Thus, when you get a card, you do not like or want to use, try to deal with it right away.

Author
Recent Posts

Rohit Raina

A writer by chance and leisurely on his way to become a writer by choice, Rohit is either ranting his ire out or talking about the most irrelevant stuff around.