How to exchange your unwanted gift cards for something you actually want
Editor's Note
If you receive gift cards during the holidays that you don't want, you could try to regift them or sell them. But unless a friend or family member wants your gift cards, it may be difficult to regift them and risky to sell them.
Luckily, there may be a better option. Specifically, you can choose from a selection of gift cards or cash when you trade unwanted gift cards through CardCash. Here's what you need to know.
What is CardCash?
CardCash buys unwanted gift cards for less than their face value.
CardCash also sells discounted gift cards — but if you're looking to purchase those, you'll need to decide whether the discount is worth not earning the bonus points and miles you can often get when purchasing gift cards elsewhere.
So, in this article, we'll focus on how you can use CardCash to offload unwanted gift cards.
How to sell gift cards through CardCash
If you have an unwanted gift card, you can go to CardCash's selling page to see if it will make an offer for your card. Input the type of gift card you want to sell and the gift card's current balance.
As soon as you click "Get offer," you'll see a cash offer and offers for gift cards you could receive in exchange for your unwanted gift card.
If you opt for cash, you can get a check, an automated clearinghouse deposit or a PayPal Express deposit.
Currently, trading for a Hotels.com gift card provides the highest value — and you'll still be working toward getting a free night for every 10 nights you stay through Hotels.com Rewards if you pay with a Hotels.com gift card. So, especially if you tend to book hotels through Hotels.com, CardCash may be a good option for any unwanted holiday gift cards.
Note that you'll get different offers depending on which type of gift card you're trading. For example, the offers I received for a $50 Bonefish Grill gift card were lower than for a $50 Target gift card.
Finally, note that the offers available through CardCash for a particular gift card type and value can change based on supply. So, the offers shown in this post may no longer be available when you search.
Related: How to use points and miles to give gifts with $0 out-of-pocket cost
Bottom line
I haven't tried CashCard personally, so I can't vouch for its safety or customer experience. However, CardCash's FAQ page attempts to reassure users, and a quick search online didn't surface many negative reviews.
I'd be willing to try CardCash if I had a card I wasn't going to use. However, if you're a United loyalist, you may prefer to turn your unwanted gift cards into United miles.
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Annual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
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- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month