How to Turn Gift Cards You Will Never Use Into Actual Cash
I found a $50 Applebee’s gift card in my desk drawer last month. It had been there since Christmas 2023. I don’t eat at Applebee’s. Nothing against it — just not my thing. But $50 is $50.
I also had a $25 Home Depot card. I live in an apartment. I don’t do home improvement. I do text-the-landlord improvement.
The resale sites that work
There are legitimate websites that buy gift cards for 70-90% of their face value. You enter the card details, they verify the balance, and they pay you — usually via PayPal, Venmo, or direct deposit.
CardCash and Raise are the biggest. CardCash buys directly from you. Raise is a marketplace where you list your card and someone buys it. CardCash is faster — money in a day or two. Raise usually gets you a higher price but takes longer.
I sold my Applebee’s card on CardCash for $42. My Home Depot card for $20. $62 in actual money that I can spend anywhere, instead of $75 locked inside restaurants and hardware stores I don’t use.
What cards sell for the most
Walmart, Target, Amazon: near full value. Everyone shops there. Visa/Mastercard gift cards: 90-95%. They’re basically cash already. Gas station cards: 85-90%. The worst performers: restaurant-specific cards (60-75%) and specialty retailers (50-70%).
One exception: Starbucks. Sells well. Everyone knows someone who drinks Starbucks.
When not to sell
If you can use the card within the next month, use it. You’re losing 10-30% by selling. A $100 Amazon card sells for maybe $92. You’re paying $8 for the convenience of having cash instead. If you shop at Amazon — and let’s be honest, everyone shops at Amazon — just keep it.
Sell when: you genuinely won’t use it, the store doesn’t exist near you, or you need the cash now more than you need whatever the store sells.
What to avoid
Don’t sell gift cards on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Too many scams. Buyers claim the card was empty, dispute the transaction, and you lose both the card and the money. Stick to the established resale platforms with buyer/seller protection.
Also: never post a photo of the card with the code visible. People will redeem it before you can. The resale sites verify the balance without exposing the code publicly.
📋 Quick Summary: Use CardCash for fast sales, Raise for better prices. Walmart, Amazon, Visa cards sell at 90%+ value. Restaurant cards sell at 60-75%. Don’t sell cards you’ll actually use — the 10-30% cut isn’t worth it. Stick to established platforms, not Craigslist. Never post the card code publicly.