My pack-rat tendencies have been well-documented in this forum. I’ve written about my decluttering efforts, particularly my attempts at selling most of my old text books and CDs (both efforts were pretty successful, I might add). The thing about clearing unused stuff from your place is you become hyper-aware about the other stuff you don’t need and can get rid off.
I discovered I had accumulated plenty of gift cards. I stockpiled these cards thinking they were like forced savings. I know that doesn't really make any financial sense - I’m a literature, not business, professor.
Anyways, even after giving some away as gifts, I was stuck with quite a bit. I had to think about what to do with those. I couldn’t throw them away, because that would be a waste. And I couldn’t use them to go shopping, because I would most likely use them to buy even more books, which I absolutely do not need. So I looked into selling them online.
I found a bunch of sites that can buy those cards off you. I whittled my search results down to the ones that are legit. If you also have an excess of gift cards (which is a good problem to have, I know), you can use this list to find places to sell them on. These are some of the best sites for you to sell gift cards online. Good luck!
Giftcard Zen
Website: https://giftcardzen.com
Let’s start with one of the lesser sites I’ve tried. Giftcard Zen is a legit place to sell your cards, but they’re a bit slow when it comes to processing your payment. It takes them anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks to process your payment. That’s as slow as molasses, especially for a company that conducts its business online.
Compare that with some of the sites on this list that process payments quickly. One site, Coinstar Exchange, even sends out payments instantly!
But Giftcard Zen deserves a spot in this list because it has great customer service, slow payment processing notwithstanding.
Monster Gift Card
Website: http://monstergiftcard.com
Monster Gift Card is super-easy to use. Just select the merchant of your gift card, receive a quote - that’s all there is to it!
Once you mail the card to them, they will send you payment via cheque. They usually buy cards valued at $10 up to $200. They might still buy cards worth over $200, but you’ve got to contact them first to determine whether they’ll buy it.
GiftCardBin
Website: https://www.giftcardbin.com
GiftCardBin gives you the option of selling your cards to them online or in person. Since I’m pretty much a hermit when I’m not teaching, online is the way to go.
To sell online you provide the complete info about your card, including the retailer, expiration date, and value. The site will then give you a quote instantly, which you can choose to either accept or reject.
If you choose the former, send the card to them. When they receive the card(s) they will send out payment, either through PayPal or cheque.
CardCash
Website: https://www.cardcash.com
To sell your cards on card cash, you simply provide all the relevant details about the card. That’s a pretty standard procedure when it comes to selling cards online.
But what I really liked about CardCash is that you can sell partially-used cards. You can accept payment as either cash or another gift card. It takes them one to two business days to process cash payments, which is pretty fast. I really liked that. Your pay will be sent via PayPal or cheque.
Coinstar
Website: https://www.coinstar.com
Coinstar is one of the greatest companies on this list - mainly because they pay instantly! The catch is that you need to physically turn over the card at one of their machines, which are located in and around malls. You simply insert your card, and in exchange, the machine will print out a voucher for you.
I mentioned that I prefered selling my cards online, but I’m including Coinstar for those that need instant payment.
Raise
Website: https://www.raise.com/sell-gift-cards
Raise is slightly different from the other companies on this list because it’s a selling platform, not an actual buyer. You list your unwanted gift cards for sale on the site. Listing on the site is free, but if someone buys your cards, Raise gets a 12% commission.
You will receive payment as either direct deposit to your bank account. PayPal, or cheque.
Gift Card Granny
Website: https://www.giftcardgranny.com/sell-a-gift-card
Gift Card Granny, like Raise, is a selling platform. But in addition to selling for cash, you can exchange your unwanted cards for ones that you would actually use. (I remember trading a bunch of bookstore gift cards for coffee gift cards - because one can never have enough caffeine-infused libations)
Gift Card Granny gives you several options when selling. You can sell and pick the best effort for your card, you can name your price, or you can trade, as mentioned above.
Cardpool
Website: https://www.cardpool.com/sell-gift-cards
I saved the best for last - Cardpool is perhaps the best site on this list. On Cardpool, you enter the details of the cards you’d like to sell and instantly get a price quote for them. Cardpool offers some of the best rates I’ve found - up to 92% of the card’s face value. They pay via cheque, which they send out one day after receiving your cards. I love how professional and efficient they are!
The Verdict: Legit or Scam?
All these sites are legit places to sell your unused gift cards to or on! I’m sure you’ve accumulated lots of gift cards through the years. Put them to good use and sell them to someone who would need them.
Your Turn
This review is based on my own experiences selling my old gift cards. Now it’s your turn to share! Have you sold gift cards as well?
Let’s hear your stories!
