Got a gift card from Barnes & Noble for Christmas but haven’t read a book in years? Or how about that Lane Bryant card from your Aunt Gertrude when you are a size 6?
You can always “re-gift” your unwanted treasures, but how’s this for an alternative – sell or trade it instead.
That’s right – there’s a website for everything these days, even some devoted to helping you turn an unwanted gift card into a card you can use, or – even better – into cold hard cash.
The concept is easy. You list your card for sale on a the website of your choice or list what you’ve got to trade and what you’d like to trade for. All companies have their rules clearly posted on their sites but basically it works like this:
If you are selling:
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- flat fee to list a card ($3.99 is typical)
- listing good for 90 days
Some companies will buy your card outright for a percentage of the verified value.
If you are buying:
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- cards are verified and guaranteed
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- free shipping
- no transaction fee
If you are trading:
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- card matching feature – plug in what type of card you have and the computer will search for someone looking for that card
Some companies to check out:
Card Avenue
Plastic Jungle
Swap a Gift
Charity Choice
And don’t forget, Christmas isn’t the only time of year that sites will have lots of “merchandise”. Thanks to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduations, Spring is a good time to give gift card trading a try as well. Happy shopping!
RELATED:
Gift Certificates Or No Gift Certificates?
Freecycle… What Do You Want? What Have You Got?
I’ve done bookkeeping and accounting work for most of my adult life.
