Gift cards tend to be one of the most popular gifts people give and receive throughout the year.
Whether it’s a birthday, graduation, or holiday gift card to Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, or any number of other stores, restaurants, or online outlets, gift cards are an easy option for almost any occasion.
But what if you want to sell gift cards you know you’ll never use?
Maybe your Uncle Joe gave you a gift card from an off-the-wall store or restaurant that isn’t exactly on your favorites list.
The good news is that these cards are much like cash in hand, so you can get money back from your unwanted gift cards.
How?
You can go online and sell gift cards for cold hard cash.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through selling unused gift cards online so you can start making money now.
We’ll also show you the most popular sites you can use to receive up to 92% cash back from your cards.
How to Sell Gift Cards Online for Cash
Selling gift cards online is relatively easy.
You simply find an online platform, get quotes on the resale value, list your card, and receive a cash payment in a variety of different ways.
Here’s how it works:
Each platform you’ll come across will have a different resale process.
Some sites will give you upfront offers for your gift cards.
Others will have you submit your gift card and they’ll send over a specific offer.
And then there are other sites that will allow you to set your own price and wait until someone decides to purchase your card.
Regardless, you’ll always be charged some sort of commission fee that the online platform pockets.
This rate will vary depending on which site you use and the current demand of gift cards.
You can expect to receive anywhere from 70% to 92% of the gift card’s value.
It will be up to you to shop around and find the best offer when trying to sell gift cards.
After you’ve accepted an offer, you can either provide the gift card information online — such as the unique card number and PIN — or you can mail in the physical gift card to the website.
Payment will then be sent to you.
This can be through a check in the mail, ACH direct deposit, PayPal, or a trade-in for another gift card at a different retailer.
If you use PayPal, you should be aware that you may be charged additional fees for your transaction.
Lastly, gift cards cannot expire and sometimes need to have a minimum balance, like $20.
You may even need to provide your credit card information, driver’s license, or other personal information for identification purposes.
These online platforms are always on the lookout for fraudulent activity and strive to protect their customers from scams.
There are plenty of different platforms where you can sell gift cards.
Let’s take a look at the most popular gift card selling platforms out there.
Cardpool
Cardpool accepts physical and digital gift cards for cash.
You have several options: You can submit your gift cards online and wait 5-10 business days to receive a check in the mail.
You can redeem your gift card immediately for an Amazon eGift card.
You can get cash now by redeeming your gift card in person.
To redeem in person, you can find a kiosk located at a store near you.
These kiosks can be found at grocery stores like Walmart and now include Coinstar kiosks since Cardpool recently acquired the business.
Website: Cardpool.com
Redemption Value: Up to 92%
Payment: Cash via check in the mail, Amazon eGift card, or in person
CardCash
This site will give you up to 92% of your gift card balance.
You can also trade in your gift card to receive even more savings.
Your payment will typically be sent within 1-2 days of your order approval.
Website: CardCash
Redemption Value: Up to 92%
Payment: Cash via check in the mail, ACH deposit, PayPal, or gift card trade-in
CardKangaroo
CardKangaroo is a leader in the gift card exchange business.
They have excellent ratings by the Better Business Bureau and seem to be a popular choice for gift card swappers.
However, according to its website, CardKangaroo isn’t currently purchasing any gift cards from consumers until they undergo some internal company changes.
But stay tuned, as this is hopefully temporary and the site may be up and running again before you know it.
Website: CardKangaroo
Redemption Value: Up to 92%
Payment: Cash via check in the mail, PayPal, or gift card trade-in
Gift Card Granny
This site enables you to sell your gift cards in a few different ways.
The first way is by searching for offers and choosing a set sale price.
This will pay you up to 92% of the value of your card.
The other way is by setting your own price.
This may get you a higher return, but it will take longer to sell your card.
The last way is to trade in your card for another gift card.
Website: Gift Card Granny
Redemption Value: Up to 92% or name your price
Payment: Cash via check in the mail, ACH deposit, PayPal, or gift card trade-in
GC Spread
GC Spread is slightly different than other gift card sites.
With this platform, you set the price you want to get paid for your card.
This offer will be sent to GC Spread and they will either accept your offer or give you a counteroffer.
Once you’ve agreed on a price, GC Spread will begin the payment process.
Website: GC Spread
Redemption Value: Up to 90%
Payment: Cash via check in the mail
Raise
Raise allows you to set your own selling price that you’d like to receive.
When you list a gift card, you must wait for a buyer who’s interested in your gift card.
Once you find someone to purchase your card, you’ll receive 88% of your selling price.
If you have to mail in your card to Raise, you’ll be charged an additional 1% or $1, whichever is greater.
Website: Raise.com
Redemption Value: 88% of the selling price
Payment: Cash via check in the mail, direct deposit, or PayPal
QuickCashMI
With QuickCashMI, you select your gift card retailer from a drop-down menu, type in the remaining balance of your card, and then you’ll receive an offer.
This can be as high as 90% of the value on the card.
You can then decide to type in the card information or send your gift card through the mail.
Once it’s received, the company will send a check within one business day.
Website: QuickCashMI
Redemption Value: Up to 90%
Payment: Cash via check in the mail
Watch Out for Scams and Out-of-Date Sites
When you want to sell gift cards, it’s important to keep in mind that there will always be a fair share of scams.
You should always do your due diligence before trusting a random site on the web.
If you stick to the sites we listed above, you shouldn’t run into any problems.
That said, if you’re ever concerned about a site, check to see if it has a Better Business Bureau rating.
This is typically a trusty sign that it’s a legitimate company.
Also, there are several sites that are no longer in business or have been purchased by other businesses.
We’ve compiled this list of gift card platforms that are no longer in service:
- Giftcard Zen: This company was acquired by Retail Me Not
- Save Ya: This site is no longer in service as of July 2019
- Monster Gift Card: This platform is currently not purchasing any gift cards
- Coinstar Exchange: Coinstar Exchange kiosks were acquired by Cardpool
We also recommend avoiding online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, Reddit, or Facebook to sell your gift cards.
These can be fairly shady places to sell your gift cards and can lead to a poor experience.
Plus, the platforms we’ve listed above will pay much higher than any of these marketplaces, so don’t waste your time.
If you’re interested in other ways to make cash quickly in one day, check out our money-making guide here.
It’s Easy to Sell Gift Cards for Cash
The next time you receive a gift card that you don’t plan on using, consider selling it online instead of letting it collect dust on your dresser.
Just because you’re not a Starbucks coffee drinker or you never plan on having a meal at Olive Garden doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.
You can make money off your unwanted cards.
Check out one of the many options we provided in this article to put cash in your pocket in no time.
If you’re tired of giving and receiving the same old gift cards, check out some of our guides to gift cards that people will love, including Grubhub, Instacart, Lyft, and ClassPass.
