How to Get Your Hands on Free (or Nearly Free) Gift Cards

If you’re like me, and many other Americans, you love gift cards. So scoring free (or nearly free) gift cards is a fantastic bonus.

Some retailers offer gift cards as free promotions, with no purchase necessary – like this deal from Victoria’s Secret. And many other retailers offer gift cards for certain product purchases or to customers who meet spending thresholds.

Although many businesses limit their free gift card promotions around the holidays, GoBankingRates.com says these retailers routinely offer some type of free gift card deal throughout the year:

• BuyBuyBaby: Having a baby is expensive, so it’s great if you can earn free gift cards when you purchase items that you need and have to buy regardless. For example, BuyBuyBaby is currently offering $5 bonus gift cards for a $25 purchase of BabyGanics products. Click here to check out some of the qualifying BabyGanics items.
• Kohl’s: This popular department store routinely offers $10 in Kohl’s gift card credit (or Kohl’s cash) for every $50 you spend with them. In fact, that exact promotion is going on through Feb. 17. Sometimes the chain’s cash promotion is even better. “This past Black Friday, [Kohl’s] increased it to $15 for every $50, which produced many price lows for the store,” Benjamin K. Glaser, features editor for DealNews, told GoBankingRates. “If you’re planning on making a major purchase, like a large appliance or household item, this feature often makes a Kohl’s purchase the best value, as long as you actually use that store credit for another necessary purchase.”
• Target: Like Kohl’s and BuyBuyBaby, Target offers free gift card promotions throughout the year. Click here to check out the retail giant’s current free Target gift card deals, which include a $15 gift card with purchase of a Ninja Professional Blender 1000, $5 gift card with purchase of four select personal care items and $10 to $100 in gift cards with purchase of select baby gear.
• Victoria’s Secret: A few times a year the popular lingerie retailer launches a free gift card promotion. Right now, Victoria’s Secret is giving away Secret Rewards gift cards ranging in value from $10 to $500. The best part is there’s no purchase necessary. Click here to find out more.
• Sam’s Club: The warehouse retailer offers free e-gift cards with all new memberships. Click here for a Sam’s Club membership deal that includes more than $100 in savings.
• Publix: The grocery chain has two new rebate programs – the Frozen Rewards Club and Stocking Spree Rewards, both of which offer free gift cards if you meet a spending threshold on purchases of participating items.

There are also ways to earn gift cards without ever spending a dime. Check out these easy ways to score a free gift card:

• Prescription transfers: Many pharmacies offer free gift cards to people who transfer their prescriptions to them. Check out sales circulars for offers or simply call up a pharmacy and ask if it rewards customers for prescription transfers.
• Use MyPoints: Frugal Living says you can earn points that are redeemable for free gift cards by completing surveys, reading emails, doing Web searches and shopping through MyPoints.
• Sign up for SwagBucks: Similar to MyPoints, Swagbucks is an online rewards program that allows you to earn gift cards by completing surveys, shopping, searching the Web and printing off coupons.
• Drive yourself to savings: Many auto dealers offer free gift cards to drivers who test-drive specific vehicles. For example, Kia recently offered drivers a $25 prepaid Visa card for test-driving any new Kia.

Do you know of any businesses that regularly offer customers free gift cards in exchange for a purchase of a specific product? Have you earned or been rewarded with free gift cards? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.