The holiday season is upon us and atop most people’s list to buy is probably an entire pad of gift cards. It is undeniably one of the easiest gifts to give. It requires lesser thought and, as long as you pick a big enough store, the gift receiver can always pick out something that he or she wants. Sometimes, gift cards feel like a God-sent means to resolve any dilemmas for the gift giver. And, should the receiver not find anything that he or she wants to buy from the store the gift cards are from, then he or she can always sell gift cards. The stores, are also hooked, as it is a perfect opportunity to sell some of their merchandise, earn money and advertise their products. It’s also a perfect opportunity to buy a thankful gift for your teacher and again it’s the easiest gift.

With all the reasons discussed above, it is no longer a secret how gift cards are slowly being a form of currency. It should be noted, however, that even if gift cards are already as loved as they are, buying one is not completely at no risk at all. The danger in gift cards usually stems from the fact that most people value them less compared to other forms of valuables. For instance, one would not go crazy taking utmost care in using a gift card compared to how one would take care of using a credit card. Gift cards, does a function, and does it really well. And that is to provide a stress free and painless way to complete your holiday shopping without having to bust your brains out. Not to mention, that gift cards are also extremely convenient to carry around, wrap as a gift, and to store until the season of giving is upon us. This article will present tips on how to make the most of your gift cards in buying, using, and even selling them.

Sell Gift Cards: Be wary of fraudulent gift card shops

It is no secret that people are more willing nowadays to buy items online than going to actual stores. Who can blame them? It has become so convenient that it almost feels like a chore to get up and do your shopping the usual way. There is quite the danger in being lulled into buying bulk gift cards at discounted rates when one should come upon some of the ads being peddled online. But one should never forget the golden rule when it comes to shopping at discount rates: if it is too good to be true, then it usually is.

Sell Gift Cards: Do not buy network-cards

The major membership credit cards will offer something that may seem fanciful at first called network cards. These cards are almost like cash but are far inferior to it because of all the fees that are piled on top of it. In fact, you should be better off to just use cash instead. Do not let the big name brand fool you into thinking you are getting more out of something simply because it is more recognizable. While it is true that these cards are usable to more shops, it lacks the same touch that gift cards have. Pick out gift cards instead of network-cards.

Sell Gift Cards: Prepaid Cards and Gift Cards are different Animals

Although quite often the two are placed close to one another in stores and gift shops, there is quite the difference between prepaid cards and gift cards. The gift card is designed as something that can only be used up to the point where the initial balance is completely spent. On the other hand, the prepaid card, are considered to be reloadable and is made that way in order to be used in the same way as if one has a checking account which can also be used as a debit card. The prepaid card can also have quite a lot of various fees that can be associated with it. That is why when you are giving a prepaid card to a receiver instead of simply giving that person a gift card, this could mean that the recipient will not be getting the same reward that you had hoped to give him or her. And finally, should the simple prepaid card be burdened with a few separate fees, this could amount to quite a hefty sum which would not be a welcome development when your intention was to save money in the first place. A lot of studies show how prepaid cards are actually burdenning the gift giver with more fees than what the giver is intending.

Sell Gift Cards: Use Caution when Buying Loyalty Cards

A certain loophole which exists on the state’s laws has allowed the application of the so-called non-reloadable prepaid card which is also called gift cards. When such is being received by way of a quantified loyalty the award for the item bought may be assumed to be a promotional program will then expire with the holder having no way to recover the value. In comparison, a bought gift card from a store will not expire for at least up to a few years since the day that it has been bought and has been registered in the store’s system. That is the reason why it is extremely crucial to check as many times as possible whether there is indeed a chance for the receiver to be able to cash in the rewards from the cards within a certain period of time. Make sure to ask the store how long the receiver will be able to use the card and also inform the receiver for how long he or she will be able to use the card.

Sell Gift Cards: Resell the gift card

Part of the reason why gift cards are slowly becoming more and more popular is because of the option of selling the gift card for any reason the receiver might think of. There are many things that can compel one to sell gift cards and that do not necessarily mean that the receiver is short on cash. In fact, some even choose to trade their gift cards for something other than money to make sure that they get the exact gift that they prefer.

If you are looking to sell gift cards, there are plenty of options online which you can choose from which would let you, pick and choose what to do with the gift cards that you own. You can choose to exchange one or more gift cards for some that they are selling.

One of the reasons for selling a gift card might be to get extra cash to use for the upcoming holiday season. While this is indeed a valid choice, one should not forget to put in mind the chances that the gift receiver might feel offended, or hurt for exchanging the gift he or she has given. This is especially true when the giver considers the receiver an important person and has invested emotions on the person.

Sell Gift Cards: Check the state of the Gift Store

The value of your gift card is directly related to the value of the things that you can buy from the store. If for instance, the store is only selling house tools, then the value of the gift card is limited to that. There is nothing wrong however in buying gift cards from a store that specifically sells only certain items. The specificity of a store makes it more suitable as a destination gift hub as the person receiving the gift card would be treated to something that the giver has truly thought of as he or she is giving the gift card.

What you should look out for from the stores selling the gift cards is the actual state of the store. This means that you should look at the volume of the items they are selling, the quality of the products they are selling and if the items are priced fairly. Any unfavorable quality of the store can be traced to the current financial state of the store. They may intend to close the door soon which renders any gift card less valuable than they actually are.

If the receiver prefers a bargain, however, he or she may actually want to shop at stores that are going out of business. In this instance he or she might appreciate the gesture. Be wary however as this may give a sense of judgement should you and the receiver does not have a certain type of relationship.

Sell Gift Cards: Conclusion

Gift cards if properly thought of, might be the ultimate gift that you can give someone. Of course, nothing beats giving someone what he or she exactly wants but this is not always the case. People often say that a gift should be something that someone would never buy for himself or herself. Giving a gift card would be giving someone the best of both worlds.