How to Buy Gift Cards Below Face Value
A gift card is one of the most versatile gifts you can give, and there's no disputing how much it's worth. And, if you purchase it at a price below its face value, there's no questioning exactly how much you keep in your pocket. It makes sense to be on the hunt for low-cost gift cards both as a gift for others and as a gift to yourself to use at places where you often shop. Be aware of scam attempts, however, when buying gift cards below face value.
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Instructions
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Make a habit of checking online auction sites such as eBay. People sell their unwanted gift cards on eBay in hopes of getting most or all of the cash face value in exchange for the card. To a skeptical eBay buyer, this may sound risky, because you may think it is easy to scam someone this way. Fortunately, eBay and PayPal have numerous checks and balances to provide insurance against dishonest sellers. If you pay through PayPal and do not receive the item as described, PayPal promises to refund your money. You can also check the seller's feedback rating -- anything below 100 percent is a sign they've wronged a buyer in the past.
Search for gift cards to stores you frequent. Read the descriptions fully to verify the exact card balance, the cost of shipping and the current bid. If the bid is within $1 to $0.50 of the face value, move on. If you place a bid at that point of the auction, you'll end up paying more than the face value, since eBay requires each bid to supersede the previous by at least 50 cents.
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Visit bidblink.com. This website offers discounted gift cards at 50 percent to 90 percent off the face value. It is similar to eBay in that you compete against other bidders in an auction for the card -- but each "bid" costs a few pennies of your own money, which you purchase in bulk in advance. However, the price of the gift card drops by once cent each time a bid is placed. Once the timer runs out, the last bidder wins the auction for the final price.
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For deeply discounted restaurant gift cards, visit Restaurant.com. The site offers printable gift cards for at least 50 percent off the retail price. There is no bidding on this site -- you pay the price posted. This site offers a limited number of gift cards for the list price, but it's not difficult to get your hands on some really good ones. The site is meant for owners of smaller or private restaurants to attract business, so this is an added bonus, as you can discover new restaurants.
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References
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