How to Turn Gift Cards Into Cash

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 24, 2022 References

A gift card is a great gift for those who are difficult to shop for. Sometimes, however, cash is much preferred over a gift card. Luckily, there are several things you can do to turn your card into cash. You can sell your gift card, trade it in for cash, or use your gift card to gain points that will save you money.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Selling Your Gift Card

1
Sell your gift card to a website. There are several websites out there that will purchase your gift card and give you cash in return. Some websites will provide the prepaid postage for you to mail your gift card to them. If you have a digital gift card, some websites will purchase it from you immediately. Be sure to search for reviews of the website before committing to selling your card.
- You typically won’t be paid for the full value of your gift card.
- Some websites you can sell your gift card to are Cardpool, Raise, CardCash, and Giftcard Zen.
2
Use an app to sell your gift card. Some companies also have a mobile app where you can sell your gift card. Simply download the app, send your card in, and choose how you would like to be paid—via PayPal or check. That company will typically take 15% of the value of the gift card for commission.^{[1]
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- Raise also has an app you can download.
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3
List your gift card on an e-commerce website. If you don’t want to sell your gift card to a website, you can also choose to list your gift card on a website—like eBay or Craigslist. You can sell your gift card for the same price it is valued as, but it will typically sell better if you sell it for slightly less than the value. Keep in mind that the website, such as eBay, will likely take a percentage of the sale.^{[2]
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- You should also factor in shipping costs if you are sending the gift card to someone.
- Be careful when meeting up with someone to sell the gift card.
4
Sell the gift card to a friend. There’s a chance that you may have a friend that would like to buy the gift card from you. This is probably the easiest and safest way to sell your card. Ask around to see if any of your friends would be interested. If someone is interested, meet up with the friend or send the gift card through the mail.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Trading Your Gift Card

1
Use a Coinstar Exchange kiosk. Coinstar Exchange kiosks are usually located towards the front of many large chain grocery stores. Simply swipe the gift card and you will receive an offer. The offer will typically be 60% to 85% of the gift card’s balance. You can choose to accept or reject the offered amount. If you accept the offer, you will receive a voucher that you can redeem for cash at a cash register.^{[3]
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- A Coinstar Exchange Kiosk is different than a regular Coinstar machine that only exchanges coins for bills.
2
Go to a Gift Card Exchange kiosk to trade your card for cash. A Gift Card Exchange kiosk is usually bright yellow and located in a grocery store. Insert the card information into the kiosk and then choose to accept or reject the offer the kiosk gives you. If you accept the offer, you can choose between a voucher that can be taken to a cashier in exchange for cash or receive a Visa gift card.^{[4]
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- You can search online to see where the closest Gift Card Exchange kiosk is.
3
Trade your gift card for a different store. If you don’t like the store your gift card is from, you can exchange it for a gift card to a store you like. You can do this online or at certain kiosks. For example, you can use a website like CardCash to exchange your gift card. Or, you can go to a store like Target and exchange your card for a Target gift card at a kiosk in the store.
- This isn't exactly like getting cash, but if you need to buy things from the updated store, the card essentially works just like cash.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Benefiting from Your Gift Card in Other Ways

1
Buy groceries with your gift card. Even if you don’t receive physical cash, you can use rewards towards purchases. For example, you can use a Visa gift card or gift card to a grocery store, like Kroger, to buy groceries or other supplies. If the grocery store has a rewards program, you will gain point that can be put towards future purchases.
2
Use your gift card to get points for gas. Some gas stations and grocery stores with gas stations have rewards cards. Use your gift card when buying gas. You can then use your rewards points to buy gas in the future.
3
Use your gift card at a drugstore to get redeemable points. First, you will need to complete the free sign up for the rewards program at your local drugstore/pharmacy. Then, use your gift card from that store or Visa gift card to make purchases. For each purchase you make, you will receive points. The points can be redeemed for discounts or coupons.
4
Give your card as a gift. If you have an unused gift card that you don’t want, give it to a friend who would appreciate it. For example, if you have card to a coffee shop but don’t like coffee, gift it to a friend who is a coffee lover. Make sure that the card hasn’t been used if you are giving it as a gift.^{[5]
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- If some of the balance has been used, you can tell the friend in advance and ask them if they’d like to use the rest of it.
5
Donate your gift card. If you will not be using your gift card, a very generous thing to do is donate it to charity. Even if you used some of the balance, you can donate the remaining amount. A couple websites you can choose to donate your card to are GiftCard4Change and Charity Choice. Typically, you will receive a receipt for your donation that you can use as a tax write off.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

What are the requirements when buying a gift card online?

Bookwormara

Community Answer

Usually the website will show you their requirements in their terms and conditions.
Question

Fry's stores all closed. Where can I use Fry's gift card ?

Community Answer

You can't use it if your gift card store has closed down, you cannot use it any longer.
Question

Where to go online to sell gift cards?

Mystery899

Community Answer

Here are some websites to sell giftcards for cash: Raise, Cardpool, Giftcard Granny, Cardkangaroo, Cardcash, ABC gift cards, and GC Spread.

Warnings

Be careful when meeting up with strangers to sell your gift card. Only meet in public spaces.

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Make sure the website is legitimate before selling your gift card.^{[7]
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