All posts in: Gift Cards

How to sell an unwanted gift card

By Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick on January 10, 2012 in

Woman selling a gift card online.

With the holiday season behind us, our mental inventory of presents has been sorted into a list of love it or hate it. Although there is good intention behind the gifts we aren't that fond of, sometimes a present is better off returned. When this gift is a gift card you'll just never use, it can be much more difficult to deal with than an easy-to-return dress that's too tight or book you will never read. That's why we researched the best ways to deal with unwanted gift cards, and (spoiler alert) none involve tossing them into your junk drawer. Read more

Discount gift cards: How to avoid getting scammed

Computers & Internet
By Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick on December 6, 2011 in

Online discount gift certificates

The holiday season doesn't just bring joy and presents--it also brings scams-a-plenty. With visions of identity theft dancing in our heads, many of us take precautions to protect our personal info, but that isn't the only way Grinch-like thieves can make off with everything but the Roast Beast.

Gift cards are extremely popular (nearly 60 percent of those surveyed by the National Retail Federation said they were hoping to find some plastic in their stockings), as are sites that discount, resell and auction them. But buying at a reduced rate may not always mean you're getting a great deal. Read on to know when to "Buy! Buy! Buy!" and when the deal is too good to be true. Read more

Electronic gift cards: Big this holiday season?

Family & Pets
By Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick on December 1, 2011 in

Computer screen is a bag of gifts.

It's always the right size, can be wrapped with ease, and now, it doesn't even need to be shipped. The gift card market is already a $91 billion industry, and it's growing at the same rate as the rest of the retail market - if not faster - according to CreditCards.com. By 2012, researchers foresee gift card sales increasing to $100 billion, and electronic gift cards are expected to make the greatest strides. These e-cards allow gifters to send the card via email, mobile devices, or even social media (instant delivery and no line at the post office!). Read more

Tips for buying restaurant gift certificates

By Christine Frietchen on December 7, 2010 in

Restaurant table

Retail gift cards have become pretty standard at this point. And for chain restaurants, buying gift certificates is also easy. But if you want to give something a little more unique than a certificate for a giant national restaurant chain, it's a bit less standard. Here we take a look at some options and tips if you want to give a gift of good taste. Read more

Giving and getting gift cards

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on November 28, 2010 in

Gift cards

This year's National Retail Federation survey on gift cards says that Americans will spend an average of $145 on gift cards this holiday season -- that's a total of $24 billion. And even though about one-third of us think that giving gift cards isn't as nice as giving a wrapped gift, 75% of us will buy them anyway. New federal legislation went into effect this August to help make gift cards easier to buy and use, but unfortunately, the most helpful aspect of the new measures -- mandating that card issuers print terms and conditions right on the card -- won't go into effect until late January. Read more

Get rid of your unwanted gift cards on Facebook

Computers & Internet
By Sage McHugh on December 30, 2009 in

Gift card

If you're stuck with an unwanted gift card, a new Facebook app can help you get rid of it. Card Hub recently launched the Gift Card application, a completely free tool that lets you sell or trade your unwanted gift cards. Here's how it works:

The primary feature is the Gift Card Wish List, which allows users to create a list of their favorite stores so that  friends and family can easily determine which gift cards to buy for them. Currently, there are hundreds of vendors to choose from, including department stores, restaurants and online retailers. Users can add stores to the list by simply typing in the corresponding URL.

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Got a gift card? Use it wisely

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on December 24, 2009 in

Get the most out of a gift card

 Chances are, you're going to get at least one gift card this year. Even though some people think resorting to a gift card is somehow cheating, most people really don't see it that way. Most of us say we're happy getting a gift card instead of a tchotchke or a sweater we don't really like. But before you run out and hit the post-holiday sales, we've discovered some tips to getting the most for your card's value.

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Beware gift-card gotchas

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on November 18, 2009 in

GAP GiftCard
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Fewer gift-card gotchas: AMEX drops fees

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on October 5, 2009 in

American Express

This week, The New York Times and other outlets reported that American Express would drop monthly fees associated with its gift cards effective immediately. Until now, and as we reported in our analysis of gift cards, a $2 monthly fee kicked in if you had not used your gift card within 12 months. It's pretty easy to see how the fee would quickly whittle away the value of your card. The fee drop applies to all American Express gift cards -- even ones you already own.

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