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How to Sell Gift Cards for Cash Instantly (100% Legit)

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Gift cards come from everywhere.  Birthdays, Christmas or maybe just because.

Unfortunately, there may come a time when you receive a gift card that you may have no use for.

Instead of letting it collect dust, consider selling it to one of the many retailers online that will offer you a quote on the spot.  Yes, you don’t have to deal with the public nor do you have to fear getting ripped off.  It’s as easy as letting the company know what you have.

You won’t always get 100% of the value, but it can be quite close dependent upon the gift card you have.

In today’s post, I want to talk about the many websites that will let you exchange gift cards to cash.  I will warn you, though, that they aren’t all created equally, so it’s always best to get a quote from each company mentioned below before confirming your order.  No matter which retailer you have, whether it be Amazon, Walmart, eBay or even a Visa gift card, there is an option for you, I promise.

With that out of the way, let’s take a gander at some of my favorite ways to sell gift cards for cash instantly.

How to Sell Gift Cards for Cash Instantly Online

CardCash

CardCash doesn’t have an in-store kiosk, but they do offer the opportunity to purchase your unwanted gift cards.

To start the process, all you have to do is let them know what kind of card you have as well as the value.  Instantly, you will get a quote, in which you can accept to get paid.

CardCash offers a variety of payment options, from cold hard cash via ACH or PayPal or you can choose to exchange your gift card for even more if interested in another brand.

Typically, payments are sent within 24 to 48 hours, so while you won’t have cash in hand instantly, you can get paid via your PayPal account within the next day.  There’s just a delay to ensure that the balance is legit and to ensure no fraud is present.



Check into Cash Stores

I’m not a fan of payday loan services, but the Check into Cash stores will buy your gift cards off you on the spot.  No, you don’t have to get a payday loan to qualify, either.

The only downfall is that you won’t know what you get unless you call or visit a location, which you can find via the company’s official website at CheckintoCash.com.

If you do decide to sell, bring in your gift card, a valid ID and you will walk out with cash in hand as long as the card is confirmed.  This is a great place to sell your gift cards and get cash in person.

  • Website:  CheckintoCash.com

ClipKard

Just like CardCash, ClipKard won’t offer you cash instantly, but you could have the funds in hand within 48 hours after they confirm your information.

To get a quote, let them know what kind of gift card you have as well as the balance on the card.  With this information, you can then get an instant quote as well as reward points, in which you can use toward future purchases.

The only downfall is that you will have to send in your gift card, which could take a few days, but upon receipt, they do pay, either via PayPal or check, within 24 hours.

As I write this, ClipKard accepts more than 100 brands and offers an aggressive instant price, all of which I cover below.

EJ Gift Cards

In my research, EJ Gift Cards offered the worst value for my hypothetical $50 Kohl’s gift card, but I wanted to include it here as they may offer more aggressive rates in the future, who knows?

EJ Gift Cards works like the rest of them.  Tell them the merchant and the value, and they will immediately send you a quote.

If you accept the offer and everything is confirmed, the company will send you cash via PayPal almost instantly as long as your card qualifies.

Gift Card Granny

It’s an odd name, that’s for sure, but it’s yet another gift card website that will get you cash today.

Much like CardPool, Gift Card Granny will get you cash today, however, you will need to visit a location near you.  Just enter your zip code and see which retailer is willing to buy your gift card.

There weren’t a ton of locations near me, and I live in one of the largest cities in the United States (Phoenix, AZ).  So, you may have no luck at all.  Nonetheless, it’s at least worth a shot.

Now, Gift Card Granny won’t buy your gift card; rather, they offer more of an aggregator, letting you know which online companies will buy it for you as well as what you can get.  This can make for a great option if you want to compare a few services and not manually enter your information on every website.

It doesn’t compare all gift card options, but it’s a start.

QuickcashMI

QuickcashMI is a smaller branded retailer that will buy your gift cards off you.  They are based in Michigan and have been operating since 2011.

Depending on your gift card, the company will either ask you to mail the gift card, which could take up to seven days to process your payment, or you can send the codes online, which could pay you much faster.

QuickcashMI did offer some aggressive rates and could make for a great option if they don’t require you to mail your gift card in.

BuyBackWorld (not instant)

BuyBackWorld will do more than just buy your gift cards.  They also buy back phones and other electronics.

Much like the others mentioned on this list, BuyBackWorld will offer you an instant quote, which I found to be aggressive.  If you like what you see, you print out the free shipping label and mail it in.  Once received, they will inspect it and pay within 48 hours to your PayPal account.

It only takes 30 seconds to get a quote, and the process, from start to finish, won’t cost you a penny.



GiftCardSpread (not instant)

GiftCardSpread is unique in that you make an offer and see if they will accept it.  Don’t plan on getting full value for your card, though.

Generally, the company will get back to you within 24 hours with a response after you submit your quote.  If they do accept it, then you can either submit your information electronically or mail it to their headquarters.  This greatly depends on your gift card.  If they deny it, then they will offer you a counter-offer, all of which you can accept or deny.  Yes, it’s just like haggling.

Upon confirming your identity and the gift card, you can get paid within 10 days.   It’s not instant, but you could get more if they accept your offer.  If you have time to wait, what I would do is offer a few dollars more than what the best gift card company offered you and see if they accept it.

Raise (not instant)

Raise is one of your bigger gift card platforms to buy and sell gift cards, but you won’t get an instant offer.

Working like eBay, Raise is more like a marketplace, wherein you will post your gift card for a price and hope it sells.  Depending on the gift card, some sell within 24 hours, whereas some may not sell at all.

Out of all the options I mention, Raise will get you the best bang for your dollar, but you will have to wait until it sells.  Again, it greatly depends on what you’re getting rid of.

Gameflip (not instant)

Gameflip is said to be the simplest way to sell unwanted gift cards, from Amazon to iTunes, Steam and much more.  They don’t work with as many brands as the other competitors mentioned here, but they do work with some of the more popular options.

To start selling, it will work in the same way as Raise, wherein it will act as a marketplace.  They note that as long as you sell for 2% to 15% off the original amount, it will sell quickly.

Just list your gift card, choose the auto-delivery option and get paid after the buyer redeems their code.

Who Offered the Best Deal?

In my research, I wanted to see who offered me the best rate for my hypothetical example.  In my example, I chose a $50 Kohl’s gift card, seeing just about every website would accept it.

Here’s what I was offered….

WebsiteOffer
CardPool$34.45 Amazon gift card OR $32.50 check
CardCash$40.50 cash or 11% more for trade
ClipKard$33.98 cash + 34 points
QuickcashMI$35 cash
EJ Gift Cards$25 cash
Raise$49.90~
BuyBackWorld$32.50

As you can see, the quotes were close, but some were much less than others.  This goes to show you that you should always get multiple quotes before accepting the first one you see if you want an instant quote.  Other than that, selling via Raise is often the best way to go.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t want to deal with selling your gift card on your own, then these options could pay okay.  If it’s instant gratification that you want, then it’s tough to beat.

As with anything, you’re always better off selling on your own as you can sometimes get closer to the market value, sometimes the exact value.  It really depends on the gift card retailer.

If you do decide to sell on your own, consider using popular platforms, such as eBay or Raise.com as mentioned above.  Both of these have a ton of buyers and can get you pretty close to what the card is worth.  For instance, using my Kohl’s example, I could have received about $46.50 selling on my own, almost a $6~ difference from the instant quote.  It’s not much, but it could add up.

No matter which option you choose, let it be known that it is possible to get cash instantly.  In going this route, you won’t get everything back, but it’s better than nothing, right?

For now, check out a few of the websites I mentioned to see what they may be able to offer you.  It only takes a few seconds to get a quote.

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments below.  If you have ever tried one of these sites and/or want to vent, then you’re more than welcome to do so as long as it’s on topic!

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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