4 Top Sites for Selling Unwanted Gift Cards

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It’s that time of year when we turn our attention from the gifts we gave to the gifts we got – which probably include a gift card or two.

Financial research firm CEB TowerGroup recently forecast $110 billion in gift card sales this year – about $10 billion more than last year.

Thanks in part to 85 percent of us exchanging gift cards this year, the spillage rate – which is the amount of unspent money left on cards – is forecast to drop 20 percent, to $1.7 billion.

To help you keep your personal spillage rate down, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the biggest gift card exchange websites, where you can trade in or sell unwanted gift cards. Aggregators like Gift Card Granny make it easy to compare the rates of certain sites, but the best way to get the most for an unwanted card is to check each exchange to see what they’re offering for it under what terms.

ABC Gift Cards

  • Payment options: Cash (via check, PayPal, or direct deposit) or Amazon.com gift card (via email)
  • Payment issued: Within 24 hours of receiving your gift card
  • Transfer options: Mail in your gift card (cost not specified)

Cardpool

  • Payment option: Cash (via check) or Amazon.com gift card (via email)
  • Payment issued: Within 24 hours of receiving your gift card
  • Transfer options: Mail in your gift card (they provide a free shipping label) or transfer it electronically

GiftCardRescue.com

  • Payment options: Cash (via check) or Amazon.com gift card (via email)
  • Payment issued: Within two business days of receiving your gift card
  • Transfer options: Mail in your gift card (cost not specified)

Plastic Jungle

  • Payment options: Cash (via check or PayPal) or Amazon.com gift card (via email)
  • Payment issued: Varies – see Payment Timing table
  • Transfer options: Mail in your gift card (they provide a free shipping label) or, for certain stores, transfer it electronically

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