Gift cards are among the easiest last-minute gifts to pick up and are also exceptionally safe bets for everyone on your gift list.
However, just because a gift card has a set value does not mean it is the amount you must pay. Numerous wonderful internet resources provide inexpensive gift cards—both physical and digital. All you have to do is know where to look.
However, you must exercise caution when searching for this type of information, as many scam sites entice individuals with the promise of ridiculously low-cost gift cards. After all, gift cards are still money, and as such, there is a limit to how much they can be discounted. However, all of the card sites on this list are secure.
Resellers of Cards Raise
Card resellers do exactly what it says on the tin: they resell gift cards. This is where you’ll find the best deals. Users will sell their unwanted gift cards to these websites, and the websites will resell those cards to consumers at a discount. It varies a lot on the website and the gift cards you’re looking at, but savings might range from 5% to 30%. So let’s look at a few of these websites and see which ones you should visit.
There are several of these websites available, but the main ones we recommend checking out are Giftcards.com, Cardpool, Raise, and CardCash. This offers discounted gift cards from hundreds of merchants, but Raise has the most range. Gift Card Granny is also worth a look, as this website offers some card discounts as well as a reward program with cash-back advantages for purchasing full-price cards.
The best feature of these websites is the security they provide. You’re not just buying a card from some random individual on the internet; these sites have previously dealt with the vendors, so you don’t have to. If you obtain an illegitimate card, all of the websites we’ve described above include safeguards. They all provide a money-back guarantee that allows you to return the card for a full refund, with CardCash’s 45-day guarantee being the shortest and Gift Card Granny’s “Lifetime Guarantee” is the longest.
These websites are your best bet for obtaining gift cards on the cheap.
Retailers in Bulk
The Sam’s Club
Because of their bulk nature, stores like Sam’s Club and Costco are well-known for having reduced merchandise, and the situation with gift cards is no different. Of course, we’re not talking about outrageous discounts here—you’re often only saving 5% to 10%—but it’s still worth checking out these stores when card resellers don’t have what you’re looking for.
One obvious disadvantage of Sam’s Club and Costco, in particular, is that they both require memberships to purchase anything from them. Membership in either store isn’t inexpensive ($45 a year for Sam’s Club and $60 a year for Costco, respectively), so purchasing cards from either retailer is only worthwhile if you’re already paying for the membership.
However, if you’re already a regular customer of those stores or regularly shop at a different bulk merchant, this is a terrific method to save a little money. It’s also important to remember that these are real gift cards, so prepare ahead if you need to ship them.
eBay Marketplaces for Used Items
People will try to sell unwanted gift cards on any used marketplace (most notably eBay), sometimes at a discount. This strategy can get you excellent prices, but it is not without risks. There isn’t as much protection against scammers here as the previously stated card resellers. However, eBay has several buyer safeguards, and if you pay with PayPal, you can always turn to them as a final resort to address the situation.
It’s still worth looking into used markets for gift cards; keep an eye on the seller’s review score and make sure you have some return option if it’s all a fake.
If you want to save money this holiday season or whenever you buy a gift card, the options offered here will undoubtedly come in handy. After all, saving money without sacrificing another person’s presence is a win-win situation for everyone.