How To Use A Gift Card

Many people hate receiving gift cards since they dread trying to get that balance to zero. Not to mention it is still legal in some states to have a monthly or yearly inactivity fee on the card. So trying to get all the money off of the card quickly can be a challenging process.

If the gift card is a Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express card then this makes things easy. If you have a cell phone or other utility bill just pay your bill online with the total amount on the card. Most utility providers allow you to have a credit balance, so overpaying your bill shouldn’t be an issue.

If the gift card is from a certain store than this can make things a bit tougher. You can try to sell the gift card online via eBay however you most likely you will sell it for less that what it is worth. I usually use eBay as a last resort. I will usually try to sell it to a friend or family member for face value. Another thing I will try is to go to the store and try to sell it to someone in the checkout line. Since they are going to pay for their items anyway many people will just give you cash for the card. This is a bit tougher though since many might think you are trying to scam them.

I have always treated gift cards like cash. I mean lets be honest, the real reason companies offer gift cards in the first place is that they know a certain percentage of then never get redeemed. So it is free money to them. When you receive a gift card do what you can to get that balance to zero right away to avoid losing its value!

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