How to Unload an Unwanted Gift Card

SwapAGift.com: Users can sell gift cards worth between $25 and $200 to “preferred merchants.” You get between 60% and 70% of the card balance, depending on where the card is from. The site then sells the card on its sister website, GiftCards.com, at a discounted price. You send the card to SwapAGift.com through the mail and the company sends you a check. Alternatively, you can visit one of the company’s 500 partner locations across the country to do the transaction in person.

GiftCardBuyBack.com: This site exclusively buys unwanted gift cards for cash. You can get between 60% and 80% of the card value, depending on the marketability of your card. They sell the gift cards at a discount at their companion site, GiftCardsAgain.com.

When you sell a gift card, you will generally lose some of the face value, either in a discounted price or in commission to a third party. But losing a percentage of the value is better than having the entire value sitting in a drawer or wasting the money on something you didn’t really want or need. To get the most value for your gift card, however, try to make an even trade for a gift card to a store or restaurant you actually like.