A growing number of American adults prefer a gift card over an actual gift. There are a lot of reasons including just the ease of using gift cards to get exactly what you want and of course, avoiding that multi-pack of sweat socks picked up last minute.

Whether it is physical gift cards or electronic gift cards, Visa debit cards, or whatever, you want to find gift cards that pack the most punch. Discounted gift cards can be found as special deals on a website, offered as a promotional, discount gift with purchase, or can be bought in bulk for certain brands.

Tip: Earn free gift cards on Swagbucks for your everyday activities, including searching the web, trying new apps, playing games, and cash back shopping. And you can cash out your rewards for discount gift cards! Like Amazon or Target gift cards for 12% off face value.

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Since gift cards do not expire, if you find a great price on gift cards that you know your friends and family will enjoy, stock up and then you have an option for whatever celebration or gift-giving occasion pops up.

Can you get discounts on gift cards?

Yes, you absolutely can get discounts and savings on gift cards. There are a number of gift card exchanges where people sell their unwanted gift cards. The site selling the used gift card will take a cut or commission. And the buyer will know that the the used gift card they are buying actually has funds on it because it’s been verified by a third-party.

Here are the best ways to save money on your gift card purchases.

  • CardCash.com. Save up to 35% on gift cards at over 500 merchants.
  • EJ Gift Cards. Shop through the Swagbucks link and save with the available coupons and deals plus earn 2% cashback.
  • Gift Card Mall. Again, shopping with Swagbucks will give you a sweet deal including bonus gift cards on the purchase of other cards. 1% cashback is also available on your purchase.
  • MyGiftCardsPlus. Buy discount gift cards, and get special offers sent to your email with every card you purchase. Everyone is a winner.

MyGiftCardsPlus is perhaps the best place to score deals on discount gift cards. Buy gift cards at up to 40% off for popular stores like Banana Republic (which you can use at Athleta or other Gap brands), H&M, or Chipotle.

The 40% savings (or other discount) is applied to your Swagbucks or Upromise account. For example, buy a discount H&M $100 gift card that’s 40% off? Spend $100 on the gift card and get $40 in cash back on Swagbucks or Upromise. Cha-ching!

Find similar deals for hundreds of stores. Buying discount gift cards before you make your next purchase is a great way to save money on your next purchase online. It takes a minute or less to see if there’s a discount card available – that’s free money.

Some other ways to score discount gift cards include: making bulk purchase orders directly from retailers (inquire directly with customer service) or finding deals at Sam’s Club, Costco, or Target. At Target, REDcard holders can save 5% on their purchase of third-party gift cards sold there, including department stores, restaurant, or Disney.

Saving Money on Gift Cards at Retail Stores and Websites

Merchants know how to keep customers coming back. They want to sell something that you want but if no one is paying, they have to find a new angle. That’s where the promotional gift cards come in! Promotional gift card deals can include special offers like “Buy this $40 gift card, get this $10 gift card for free!”

The trick is buying gift cards that give you the most money without costing the most. You may also find that some in-store promotions give you a gift card as part of a sale. It may have the amount directly on it or you may have to scratch off and reveal how much you “won”. The store hopes that you will just spend it that day like a coupon. But, unless it says otherwise on the card, you are free to keep it and tuck it into a pretty card for someone else.

Discounted Gift Cards at Warehouse Stores

Most Costco members know that they can get discounted gift cards and eGift cards. The amount of the discount may vary by the type of gift card it is. You can also buy the Costco Shop card in amounts starting at $25 and going up to $2000. These can be used in Costco stores and on the Costco website.

At Sam’s Club, you can buy discounted cards at up to 25% of their face value. You can also buy discounted gift cards from Sam’s Club online using the Swagbucks link, save money on the cards and get up to 2% cashback.

BJ’s Wholesale Club has smaller discounts on the available gift cards and some prices can only be viewed by members. You can still shop for a number of gift card deals there though and get 1% cashback.

Bulk Discount Gift Cards

If you have a lot of people that you want to give a gift card to, you might consider buying in bulk. If you are giving a gift card for a spa or a retreat, or something similar there are two options for doing that without breaking the bank.

Groupon lets you snag up deals on everything from skydiving lessons to a discount gift card to the local spa. Get your Groupon deals and up to 8% cashback, too.

LivingSocial is similar to Groupon. Get the best deals on gift cards and 3% cashback.

What gift cards are free?

You can get free gift cards as part of a promotion or marketing campaign at your favorite stores. Free cards are also sometimes given as a bonus when you purchase a virtual or physical gift card.

Other times that you may receive a free gift card can include:

  • When you buy tickets to a sporting or music event.
  • When you make returns to certain retailers. Instead of refunding you directly, they will give you a gift card in hopes that you will shop with them again.

How can I get free gift cards for free?

You can get gift cards for free by earning them for your time and your opinion. Survey sites are one of the easiest ways to earn free gift cards including Mastercard gift cards, Amazon gift cards, and others.

How Survey Sites Work

Earning gift cards on survey sites is relatively easy. Most offer at least two or three ways to earn points toward a reward. Here is how the process usually goes:

  • You start a free account at a survey site. (Bonus tip: never pay for an account or give out banking information when you are joining a site.)
  • After creating your log-in information, you will take an initial profile survey. Most will give you a welcome bonus and may reward you with additional points for this step.
  • You are sent invitations for surveys. You answer the screening questions and if you are accepted, you complete the survey. If not, most sites will give you a few points anyway.
  • Repeat the step above plus search the site for more ways to earn.
  • Meet the minimum threshold for a reward, choose the one you want, and follow the redemption steps.

Good Survey Sites to Join

If you want to set a goal for a $20 Visa gift card, you can do that. You just need to find a site that is going to let you earn that gift card in a relatively short period of time. Here are some of the top sites that give you surveys plus many other options so that you can get gift cards or Paypal payments without having to take a second job in the process.

  • Swagbucks. Free to join. Must be 13 or older.
  • Inbox Dollars. Free to join. Must be 18 to join.
  • Toluna. Join as an Influencer and become active in the Toluna community.
  • Survey Junkies. Has an additional option where you track your internet browsing habits for more points.
  • Zap Surveys. Must be 17 to join. Of all of the sites, Zap Surveys has one of the highest payout thresholds but lower-paying surveys.

If surveys are not your thing, you can also use cashback sites like Tada and Honey. These help you find the best deals and savings on things you are shopping for, get you cash back, and can help you earn free gift cards.

Do Amazon gift cards have a fee?

There are no fees to buy or use Amazon gift cards. They also do not have an expiration date so you can hang on to yours until it is needed.

Do all gift cards have to be activated?

The answer depends on the gift card. Sometimes a physical card will need to be opened and then activated while others may be activated immediately after purchase. A virtual gift card is usually activated as soon as it arrives in the recipient’s inbox.

If you are unsure, you can always check the status of a gift card by calling the number that is listed on the back for a balance update.

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