You know the scenario: you open your wallet only to find the ghosts of gift cards past. About a billion dollars yearly is wasted on unused gift cards. Which is great news for retailers, but not so great for us plebs. Enter Raise, a platform that allows people to buy and sell gift cards online. Raise’s easy to use platform presents users with thousands of gift card options. So, believe me when I say, there is something for everyone. Interested in learning how to save even more? Check out these awesome receipt scanner apps!

How does it work?

You can download the app or take advantage of the way too easy to use platform via your computer. This free service allows users and companies to set their own prices on gift cards they are willing to sell. You’ll save an average of 12-15% on your purchases before even buying a gift card.

You can get great deals on your favorite brands, all because people are looking to offload their gift cards. For example, you could score an H &M gift card for 35% off, or a Build A Bear one for 25% off. Raise makes it super easy to find what you are looking for, and the interface lets you organize gift cards by highest to lowest deals and set alerts for what you are looking for. The best deal ever is literally staring you down with this interface.

Buying gift cards

There are literally thousands of retailers to choose from when looking to buy a gift card. Like any discount shopping, you should have an idea of what you are looking for first. Keep in mind, the best day to shop is on Monday, which is when cards get restocked. What is 13% on a Friday could be 25% on a Monday. Just pick a retailer, and then you will see the corresponding gift cards with the discounts front and center. The icing on the cake is Raise’s rewards program, called Raise Pay. This fun program allows you to get a percentage back off certain gift cards on your next purchase. It’s basically like earning in store credit. What sets Raise apart from other gift card marketplaces is that they go the extra mile to protect their customers, and offer everyone a year money back guarantee should the gift card purchased not end up being exactly what was advertised.

There are three ways to obtain your gift cards through Raise. The first and easiest would be to get them straight to your e-mail, within minutes. You can also have cards mailed to you or sent via an in store voucher. I am all about that instant gratification, so vote you always go for option number one.  

Selling gift cards

If you are like me and have a ton of unused gift cards, Raise makes it easy to sell gift cards online. It is free to list your unused or partially used cards and you get to be the master of how much to sell them for. You set the discount you want to sell your card at and then Raise pays you through direct deposit when it’s purchased. The only catch is that Raise takes a 15% cut off the sale price, which is slightly higher than other gift card marketplaces. Annoyed by the cut that Raise takes? Check out Trim, a platform that saves money on monthly bills which will help make up for Raise’s commission.

Pros

• Email alerts that let you know when the cards you want are available

• Stack coupons with gift cards for the best possible deals

• $5 refer a friend bonus

In Summary…

Raise is a reliable platform through which to sell and buy gift cards. It is easy to use and has limitless gift card options. Raise cash gives you additional savings, and, in my opinion, makes this totally worth the download.