Gift Card Exchange Review

We’ve all been through the dreaded process of opening presents in front of friends and family. You know the scene, all eyes on you, waiting to see how you react to their gift. It’s just an unwritten rule that you have to act happy and pleased with each unwrapped gift, even if you aren’t. When the dust clears and wrapping paper lies in heaps, you’re left with a stack of new stuff. Amongst that stuff is a pile of gift cards from those unwilling to spring for a tangible gift. Normally you would delight over the chance to pick what you actually want, but as you flip through the cards you realize, “Some of these cards are from places I never shop and will never shop.” What to do? Doesn’t it seem horrible that a $50 gift card may go to waste? Well, lucky for you, TopTenREVIEWS has a solution.

We’ve researched and reviewed the top ten online gift card exchange sites. These websites provide the outlet for getting rid of unwanted gift cards in exchange for another gift card, Amazon.com credit or cold, hard cash. A side-by-side matrix compares each site, showing you which offer the best selection and selling options.

Gift Card Exchange Websites: What to Look For

Inventory Selection
We found that the best gift card exchange sites were those that carried several different monetary card choices for each company they were associated with. For example, our number one site, Plastic Jungle, carries cards from several different companies and within those companies the cards value range from $25 to $500. This way whether you are purchasing a gift for a friend or yourself, the options are there. Usually the higher in face value the gift card is, the more of a percentage it is discounted.

Integrated in the inventory selection of our reviews, we included whether you can buy, sell or exchange gift cards on each site. On our top three sites, Plastic Jungle, GiftCardRescue and Cardpool allow the user to buy and sell gift cards with ease. Plastic Jungle and Cardpool even offer the option to donate your gift cards to charity if you’re feeling giving. Other websites, like GiftCardSwapping or Monster Gift Card actually allow you to trade gift cards with other users. This process is a bit more complicated, so be sure to read our review of each before using their services.

Website Features
Since sites that specialize in buying and selling gift cards are run and operated solely online, their website should be impeccable, easy to use and pleasing to the eye. Not all of the sites we reviewed match those requirements, but the best do. The site you decide to sell your gift cards to should also be well connected to their customer, with several different ways to contact them. Our favorites were those with social media outlets as well as traditional contact information.

When reviewing the purchasing process some sites stood out over others. Cardpool, for example has an email signup list that allows you to select which gift cards you would like to see on their site and when those cards come into stock, you receive an email notice. We like this service because it cuts down on browse time and takes you right to what you want.

Ease of Use
With the huge selection of gift cards out there, a website that is easy to navigate and has appropriate search functions is mandatory. If an exchange site doesn’t have the option to narrow down your search, then pick a different site. Nothing is more annoying than having to scroll through a site’s entire selection of gift cards. You wouldn’t put up with that on an online apparel store, so don’t put up with it when looking for gift cards either. Plastic Jungle and Monster Gift Card have the best search functions, hands down.

Help/Support
Trusting a company enough to put an unused gift card in an envelope and mail it to them with the promise of payment is a little scary. A good site will reassure you with testimonials and LOTS of help information. From FAQs to customer support phone numbers to a Facebook page, our top sites have it all. We especially like the way Cardpool is so eager to help and serve their customers.

The days are over when gift cards sit unused, gathering dust in drawers and taking up space in wallets. Gift card exchange websites are taking those unwanted gift cards by storm, trading them in for what you really want or sending you a check instead. For more information make sure to read our informative articles about gift card exchange sites. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™