Sites for Discounted Gift Cards

Can buying discounted gift cards online help you save money and reduce your spending each month? Maybe. But keep in mind that inventory and discounts on gift cards vary greatly from day to day and from one site to the next. Good deals can be found but you might have to hunt and peck through a lot of offers to find them.

Moreover, these sites also sell full-price cards, sometimes with a fee added for delivery. You may do as well or better by going directly to the retailer's site.

Many of the deals offered are "cash back" offers of 1% to 2%. So, you're paying full price but getting a little more for your money. Others offer savings of 2% or 3%, which might or might not be worth your time.

Fortunately, some sites help you find the best deals and save the most money on the specific cards you’re looking for. Some of these sites also buy cards if you have unused gift cards you'd like to sell for cash.

This list is a compilation of discount card sites, but be aware that their deals and requirements are constantly changing, and you should consider the pros and cons carefully before making a purchase.

Giftcards.com

Giftcards.com sells gift cards from more than 400 name-brand merchants. Some are available only as gift codes, which means you can only use them for online purchases. To get a physical gift card by mail, you’ll pay about $2 in postage for USPS shipping, which takes five to nine business days.

In mid-December 2023, Giftcards.com had 10% off discounts for Bath & Bodyworks and a number of restaurant chains.

Raise.com

Raise might have the broadest selection, with discounted gift cards from nearly 1,000 name-brand merchants. Like Giftcards.com, some gift cards at Raise.com are only available as eGift cards, which means you can only use them for online purchases.

The site also sells physical gift cards and printable vouchers. Shipping is free for physical gift cards.

As of mid-December 2023, Raise was offering discounts at Jiffy Lube of 28% and about 4% at Papa John's. Its "Clearance" section had deals for about 9% at Ikea and 4% at Home Depot.

CardCash

CardCash offers discounts of up to 35% on gift cards from more than 550 merchants. The site sells both physical gift cards and printable e-cards. To get a physical gift card by mail, standard USPS shipping is free, and your card should arrive in one to five business days.

As of mid-December 2023, it had plenty of retail offerings, including 6.4% at Home Depot, 6.1% at CVS, and 5.7% at Ulta. Restaurants generally offered steeper discounts, including 21% off at Applebee's and 25% off at iHop.

Other Considerations

Studies have shown that people spend gift card balances more freely than they spend cash.

Another problem arises if you want to return something you purchase with a gift card. Instead of getting real money back, you usually get your refund in the form of a gift card.

You also have to consider the value of your time. A 5% discount at Starbucks sounds great, but when that means getting a $15 gift card for $14.25, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth the trouble just to save 75 cents. At larger denominations, your dollar savings become more significant, but even if you buy a $100 gift card with a 5% discount, you’re only saving $5.

The Bottom Line

Gift cards—also known as stored value cards—are constantly changing. Because inventories and discounts vary by site, there’s no one best choice for buying discounted gift cards. Giftcards.com, Raise, and CardCash are just a few of the many websites that sell discounted gift cards.

There are several others, and all offer the same basic service: a way to buy retail store gift cards for less than face value. Giftcards.com was the only one that charged for shipping at the time of this writing.