How to turn a gift card into cash: your real options and the scams to avoid
KartaCash ·
A gift card you won't use is money sitting idle. You can get a good part of its value back, but almost never 100% — and this is exactly the kind of sale where scams are most common. Here are the options, roughly what each one costs you, and the warning signs.
Your options
- 1Use it or give it awayThe only way to get 100%. If you can buy something you'd buy anyway at that store, that's the best outcome.
- 2Sell it to someone you trustA friend or relative who shops there can pay you close to face value. The risk is low because you know each other.
- 3Sell it to a stranger onlineYou can get a good price, but this is where fraud concentrates: payments reversed later, fake payment screenshots, or buyers who vanish with the code. Many marketplaces also don't allow gift card listings.
- 4A gift card buying siteThey pay a percentage of the value (on KartaCash today, up to 91.0% for Amazon), but it's fast and you don't depend on a buyer keeping their word. You should see the exact amount before you hand anything over.
- 5Ask the store for a refundFew stores refund gift cards, but some places have rules for small leftover balances. Check the store's terms, especially if you bought it recently.
What gift cards sell for today
The percentage depends on the brand, the card's country and demand. Cards you can spend on almost anything, like Amazon or Apple, usually fetch more than single-store cards. Our best rates right now:
What to check before selling to anyone
- That they tell you the exact amount before you give them the code — not an "up to" percentage that drops later.
- What happens if one card fails: whether the rest of the order is still paid.
- How you'll be paid and whether that method has a fee. For crypto, which network.
- That there's a real way to contact them and a page where you can track the order.
- Where you enter the code: a form on their own site, not a chat or an email.
The most common scams
Paying with gift cards. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards to pay a fine, a debt, the IRS, tech support, a held delivery or a prize fee, it's always a scam. Gift cards are used because once the code is handed over, the money is almost impossible to recover.
The buyer who "verifies" the code. They ask for the code or a photo of the back to check it works before paying. With that, they can already spend it.
Payments that aren't what they seem. Screenshots of transfers that never arrive, or payments reversed days after you've handed over the card.
Copycat sites and profiles. Check a site's address before you type anything, and be suspicious of anyone who contacts you first offering an unusually high price.
If you've already been scammed
- Contact the brand that issued the card (Amazon, Apple, Google, Steam…) right away with the card number and receipt. If the balance hasn't been spent, they can sometimes freeze it.
- Keep the receipt, screenshots of the conversation and any details of the person who contacted you.
- Report it to the police, and in the US to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Even if you don't get the money back, it helps shut down accounts that keep scamming.
Is it legal to sell a gift card?
A card you bought is yours. Some brands do restrict resale or use outside their country in their terms, so if in doubt, check the card's terms.
What's the fastest way to turn a gift card into money?
A site that buys cards and pays in crypto or PayPal: on KartaCash most orders are paid in about an hour, after a person reviews the card.
Why does nobody pay 100%?
The buyer takes the risk that a code isn't valid and has to resell the balance. The difference is the buyer's margin.
Do I need to show ID to sell?
Not on KartaCash: we only ask for an email so you can follow your order.
What would you get for your card?
Choose the card, country and amount to see the exact payout before you send anything.