The third Saturday in January is National Use Your Gift Card Day. In 2026, that's Saturday, Jan. 17. Nearly half of Americans (47%) have at least one unused gift card or store credit, with an average balance of $175 per household.
All told, consumers are sitting on $21 billion in neglected cards.
If your holidays were filled with gift cards you have no interest in redeeming, here's how you can actually turn your disappointment into cash.
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Selling gift cards for cash
There are several third-party websites that allow you to exchange gift cards for cash. There are typically restrictions, such as no cards with expiration dates, promotional cards that can only be used in certain areas or non-transferable cards.
GCX
GCX is an online marketplace where members can sell gift cards for less than their face value. You decide how heavily you want to discount your card and can see how much other sellers are listing their cards for.
GCX imposes a 15% service fee, so the best possible return is 85 cents on the dollar.
GCX (The Gift Card Exchange)
Product highlights
GCX buys and sells gift cards from 4,000+ retailers at a discount, including Apple, Best Buy and Hotels.com.
Discount
Cards are sold at up to 30% off.
Payment options
ACH direct deposit or PayPal
Fee
10% platform fee for buyers, 15% commission fee for sellers
Terms apply
CardCash
CardCash eliminates the hassle of selling cards yourself: As soon as your gift card is verified, the site will make you an offer and handle the resale.
Sellers receive up to 92% of the cash value of their cards, which is significantly better than GCX. But the rate fluctuates widely from one retailer to the next: At the time of this writing, a $100 Apple Store card received an offer of $77.50, while a $100 Microsoft gift card fetched only $60. (Sellers are offered a slightly higher rate if they accept a prepaid Mastercard.)
You can also trade in gift cards and receive up to 11% more than if you cashed them out. Popular trade-in options include Airbnb, Chewy and Amazon.
CardCash
Product highlights
CardCash buys and sells thousands of gift cards from major retailers like Starbucks, Dunkin, CVS, Target and Home Depot
Discount
Cards are sold at up to 35% off face value and purchased for up to 92% of the face value.
Payment options
PayPal, ACH bank transfer or virtual Mastercard (for instant funds)
Fee
No direct fees
Terms apply
Prepaid2Cash
Prepaid2Cash accepts most American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa network-branded prepaid cards, as well as gift cards from Starbucks, Nordstrom, Walmart and other popular retailers, and rebate cards from Sprint, Verizon, Comcast and other companies.
The balance on your gift card must be between $25 and $1,000.
Prepaid2Cash
Product highlights
Prepaid2Cash buys retail gift cards, rebate cards, payroll cards and prepaid debit cards from American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.
Discount
Prepaid2Cash does not sell gift cards
Payment options
Direct deposit into your bank account or onto a debit card
Fee
15% processing fee for immediate payment, or 10% for next-day ACH payment. All sales include $1.50 delivery charge.
Terms apply
Buying discounted gift cards
Just like you can use sites like GCX and CardCash to sell unwanted gift cards, you can use them to buy other people's gift cards at a discount, too.
Be sure to use a credit card that offers the maximum return on your spending. Gift card marketplaces don't fall into any bonus categories, so the best strategy is to spend on a card that gives you a respectable flat rate on everyday purchases. With a Citi Double Cash® Card, you can earn up to 2% cash back: 1% on all eligible purchases and an additional 1% after you pay your bill.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure. Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® lets you earn 1.5% on all eligible purchases. (See rates and fees)
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on eligible purchases.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is great if you want simplicity thanks to its flat-rate 2% unlimited cash rewards on purchases and $0 annual fee.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
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FAQs
Do Coinstar machines buy gift cards?
Since Coinstar Exchange was discontinued in 2019, Coinstar no longer allows consumers to exchange gift cards for cash.
What gift cards does Prepaid2Cash accept?
Prepaid2Cash accepts most MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover-branded prepaid cards, as well as physical and electronic gift cards from popular retailers like Starbucks, Walmart, and Best Buy. The balance on the gift card must be between $25 and $1,000, and the card cannot be restricted in any way. Prepaid2Cash does not accept registered cards, non-transferable cards, promotional cards, paper cards, cards with dormancy fees or merchandise credits with expiration dates.
How quickly does CardCash pay you?
Payment is typically sent one or two days after the order is approved by CardCash.
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