11 Best Places to Sell Gift Cards for Cash

Have you ever gotten a gift card you know you won’t use? Or do you have a gift card that you meant to use but left it at home? Luckily, there are many legit places to sell your gift cards for cash and finally use that money.

Approximately $1 billion in gift cards go unused every year! That’s why selling your gift cards at a discounted rate to somebody who wants them is a win-win for you and the buyer.

You are probably here because you have a gift card (or a wallet full) you wish was hard cash. Explore the best ways to sell your unwanted or half used gift cards in this post.

Where To Sell Your Gift Cards Online

Selling gift cards online is the easiest option, but you should expect to pay a commission up to 15% of the selling price.

1. Raise

Raise is the largest online gift card marketplace. I’ve sold a few gift cards on Raise and they usually sell within 24 hours of listing. When a card sells, you can be paid by PayPal, direct deposit, or check. I request payment as soon as the card sells and receive my PayPal payment within 48 hours.

Another reason to consider Raise is that you can name your own selling price. If you have a $25 gift card to sell and the competitors are selling for $23, you can list yours for $22.95 to become the top listing and make a quick sale!

There are no listing fees on Raise, but you pay 12% of the selling price when you make a sale. If you sell a card that must be mailed, you will pay an additional $1 or 1% fee, whichever is greater.

2. Gift Card Granny

Gift Card Granny might be the easiest place to sell because you can compare the selling prices on several marketplaces with a single query. For high demand gift cards, you can earn up to 92% back of the card value.

When selling on Gift Card Granny, you have these three selling options:

1. Sell It Now
2. Name Your Price
3. Trade In

If you want the cash immediately, go with the Sell It Now option to be paid by PayPal, direct deposit, or check within three business days. But if you have more time to sell, you can earn more with the other two options –Name Your Price and Trade In– to get paid in cash or swap your card for a more desirable brand.

In 2018, the most popular brands on Gift Card Granny were:

• Target
• Starbucks
• Best Buy
• Sephora
• Nordstrom

If you have one of these gift cards to sell, it should sell right away.

3. CardPool

If you need cash immediately, CardPool also lets you sell your gift cards in-person at select businesses and self-serve kiosks. For example, I can exchange my unwanted gift cards for a Target gift card at the Electronics department in Target or for cash at the self-service kiosk at a nearby Kroger grocery store.

CardPool also lets you sell your gift cards online for up to 92% of the card value or you can name your own selling price.

4. CardCash

You can either sell or trade at CardCash. By trading, you can get up to 14% more for your card. CardCash makes instant offers for cards you want to sell and you can earn up to 92% of the card value for in-demand gift card brands.

Payment is sent via PayPal, direct deposit, or check with 48 hours when you choose to sell instead of trade.

5. CardKangaroo

When you only have physical gift cards to sell, you can also look at CardKangaroo; they don’t accept digital gift cards. If you like CardKangaroo’s offer, you mail your gift cards for free and they typically send your payment within 48 hours. CardKangaroo also lets you trade your unwanted gift cards too.

6. ClipKard

ClipKard will buy just about any giftcard on the market. All you need to do is input some information about the card. They’ll give you an offer based on the retail value and retail brand.

You can select one of two methods to ship your cards. If you choose to ship USPS First Class, ClipKard will pay for the shipping! In the end, it’s up to you to mail the cards off.

Payment can come directly to a Paypal account the following day or by a check in the mail. It’s up to you how you get paid. Not only can you make money on giftcards, but you can earn ClipKard rewards! 1000 points equates to $10 which you can redeem on future purchases on the site.

7. GC Spread

GC Spread works similarly to ClipKard with one major difference. You get to pick the selling price of the giftcard! That’s right, you decide how much you think your giftcard is worth. Send the information off to GC Spread and they’ll either accept the offer or give you a counter-offer.

Once the deal is made, you have 24 hours to upload an ID and credit card information to get your payment. GC Spread will trade your giftcard to someone who wants it and you make the profit.

8. eBay

Another option is to sell your gift cards on eBay as you can potentially sell your card for a profit, but keep in mind that this can be more hassle. By selling through a gift card marketplace, they verify the balance and offer seller protection in case the buyer has troubles redeeming the card.

To avoid fraudulent buyers on eBay, follow these tips:

• Never listed the card number or pin in the listing
• Buy your postage through PayPal so eBay can track the shipping details
• Don’t email the card number and pin even after the buyer pays for it, make them wait to receive the actual card

Most buyers are honest, but a few bad actors give everybody a bad name. A common eBay scam is for the buyer to pay for the card and receive the card number and pin in an email.

The buyer quickly makes a purchase with the card and then files a complaint with eBay stating the seller sold a bad card. Sellers that don’t follow the three safety tips above end up refunding the buyer and lose the gift card in the process.

How to Sell Gift Cards Locally

Another option is to sell locally. This is a clever option if you need cash today or want to avoid the selling fees of online marketplaces.

9. Craigslist

You can also sell locally by listing your card on Craigslist or another sell local app like Letgo. This option might work best for gift cards to local businesses that cannot be listed on the other gift card balances. When selling locally, it’s best to meet at the local business to verify the balance before the buyer pays for the card.

My wife and I bought a gift card to a local hardware store at a discount using Craigslist. I met the seller at the store and paid him for the card after the cashier verified the balance.

10. Coinstar

Select Coinstar machines will also buy your gift cards in addition to your loose change. The next time you buy groceries, take your gift cards along and maybe you can exchange them for store credit! However, I recommend looking for a CardPool kiosk first as they are more prevalent.

11. Have a Garage Sale

If listing your gift cards online or going to an in-person kiosk is too much work, you can also sell them from home with a garage sale. You may or may not get a good deal for the cards because asking price depends on how much interest the prospective shoppers ask. Do encourage the potential buyer to dial the toll-free 1-800 number on the back to verify the balance before buying.

Tips on Selling Gift Cards

When selling your gift cards online, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Partially used gift cards (i.e. $23.57 card balance) can also be sold
• When possible, sell digitally to avoid shipping costs
• Trading gift cards –instead of selling– can reduce selling fees
• You can wait to sell for the price you want since most gift cards do not expire

Staying Safe Selling Gift Cards Online

Your best bet is to use an online gift card marketplace like Raise who verify the gift card balance and offer the seller and buyer protection. After a sale is made, you might have to keep the physical card for up to 180 days just in case the buyer has trouble redeeming the card balance.

How To Get Cash in Hand

It takes only a few minutes to post your gift card. These are the typical steps you have to follow on most sites:

• Select the gift card brand
• Enter the current card balance
• Submit the card number and pin
• Choose your selling price

After entering your information, the marketplace will immediately begin verifying your card information. Although most marketplaces say it can take up to 24 hours, from personal experience, it only takes a few minutes to verify the card balance and make the listing go live.

Even when I name my own price, I usually sell the card within 24-48 hours of the listing time when I price the card competitively.

Convert a Physical Card to Digital

Most online marketplaces will convert your physical gift card to a digital version that the buyer can either redeem online or print. Digital transfers instantly transfer the card balance to the buyer and keep selling fees to a minimum.

Trading May Be The Most Profitable

Trading can be more lucrative because you simply swap balances and the marketplace collects a smaller fee. But, you might need a high demand gift card like Amazon, iTunes, or Starbucks to trade. If no other traders want your card, you can earn more selling.

Summary

Selling your unwanted gift cards can be an excellent way to make a little extra cash with minimal effort. Whether you sell online or in-person, selling gift cards for cash is one of the easiest ways to improve your finances and you also find a good home for your old gift cards.

Have you ever sold gift cards for cash before? If so, what was your experience?