Stay Connected

Monday, December 19, 2022

Regifting a Gift Card

I was given a gift card Christmas of 2019 that I never used. One of my kids asked for a gift card to this very store for this Christmas. So, you can see where my mind is going. Why not just regift this gift card?

A couple of problems with regifting gift cards:
  • wanting the gift card to appear to be brand new and not previously used
  • wanting to increase the value on the gift card, if the gift card is a small amount
  • wanting a new activation receipt with a current date to attach to the card, so the gift card doesn't look like something I had lying around 
I wasn't sure how much value was loaded onto this gift card, and I couldn't find the little activation receipt which would indicate the value and the date purchased. So I took the gift card to the store and asked if they could tell me the balance without destroying the scratch-off PIN area. No problem, the clerk said. She swiped the card to find the value. I wanted to add to that value to make it a bigger gift. Again, no problem. After adding some money to the original card, the clerk handed me a new activation receipt with the upgraded card value and a current date.

And now, as far as anyone could tell, this is a "new" gift card and not a leftover.

I don't know if all stores will provide a new activation receipt or will allow you to add value, if desired. But it's worth a call or visit to see if this is possible, if you happen to have a gift card that you'd like to regift to a recipient who you believe would appreciate the gift card. In my case, it's a family member receiving this gift card and would probably have no problem with me regifting this card to them. But I do like the card to look as much like a new gift as possible. 

11 comments:

  1. That was a good idea since you weren't going to use it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Live and Learn,
      I like that it will be used and is wanted. Those are the best gifts to give.

      Delete
  2. A perfect solution and I would have done exactly the way you did it. We have a small number of gifts under our ceramic tree but I have yet to find something for my husband. He's always the most difficult one and yet he is so easy going. We do small practical things around our place and nothing too expensive. Hey, they are all adults who can buy themselves anything they could ever want!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      good luck finding just the right thing for your husband. Whatever you choose will please him, no doubt.

      Delete
  3. I've never thought of adding to a gift card balance to turn an old gift card to new. I guess it's all electronic so just the dollar amount has changed. I'm even lazier and send money electronically without a gift card. And this year I sent a handmade Christmas card via Etsy, so I didn't have to stand in the long lines to weigh postage on a card that I would have made. This was a Christmas card junk journal so the postage would have exceeded an ounce. A bit spendy but not everyone understands the concept of junk journals, so buying one for a gift seemed more appropriate. The value is not the material but the unique handcrafted quality of a gift made from junk.

    Have a nice day,
    Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laura,
      The handmade Christmas card through Etsy sounds like something I'd like. I think you chose wisely. I've managed to avoid the post office this holiday season. I'm trying to avoid lines and crowds. I don't want even the sniffles this close to Christmas.

      Delete
  4. That was a very clever idea. I had never thought to do that, although if I had thought about it I would have known that it’s possible, having worked at Walmart. Im going to Safeway today to buy gift cards to finish up my shopping, but before I go I’m going to see if I can use any I have around here already. I have several I have bought myself for one reason or another, and then not used. I like buying them at Safeway because then I get the reward points. I also try to buy them when they run promotions on them. Last week I bought a dominos one and then a couple cabellas. Those are just for us to use throughout the year. Since they had a promo I got 15 gas rewards I think. In my dh’s truck that means about $30 off.

    Diane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Diane,
      It sounds like you have a good plan for getting cheaper gas. I need to think through what I might spend money on and where, to figure if I could use gift card purchases to earn gas reward points. I did that several years ago, but we were eating out more and I always seemed to need Starbucks GC for my kids to give as teacher appreciation gifts. But I know I spend some money during the year. So even now I must be able to find gift cards that would cover regular purchases.

      I read a tip somewhere, the gal and her husband would stop by the grocery store on their way to go out for dinner. They'd buy a gift card to cover that dinner, earning rewards points for something they were planning on doing anyway.

      Delete
  5. I have a few gift cards that I really have struggled to use. The brick and mortar store closed in my area. I was determined to spend them this fall. I wondered if their online presence would remain for purchasing. I had to spend a bit more to actually use the card on items I would use.
    I have some gift cards hanging around for a store that I get a pedicure each summer at. It will take me a few years to use them up ,but I can use them for any tips for services.
    I recently won a virtual gift card from Ten Thousand Villages from filling in an online survey.
    I bid on a Starbucks gift card for the face value I always purchase a relative for Christmas. Someone in the dog rescue had redeemed air miles for a gift card code. I won it and took the code to a local Starbucks and they loaded it onto a gift card for me and gave me a activation slip .
    I found a thank-you card with a Teevana gift card from 7 years ago. My daughter was able to load the code in her Starbucks app. I dint think of using it to put on a gift card,I don’t generally drink there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Teresa,
      I was saying to one daughter that this next year will be the year I use all the gift cards I have lying around. I worry that a store to which I have a card will go out of business. I didn't realize that Teavana GC can be converted to Starbucks. That's a good thing to know.

      Oh that's awesome -- taking the gift card code to a Starbucks and then they loaded the amount onto a card. I didn't know that was even possible. Thanks for sharing that.

      Delete
  6. Oops Lili that was my comment above.
    Teresa

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for joining the discussion today. Here at creative savv, we strive to maintain a respectful community centered around frugal living. Creative savv would like to continue to be a welcoming and safe place for discussion, and as such reserves the right to remove comments that are inappropriate for the conversation.

FOLLOW CREATIVE SAVV ON BLOGLOVIN'

Follow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be a voice that helps someone else on their frugal living journey

Are you interested in writing for creative savv?
What's your frugal story?

Do you have a favorite frugal recipe, special insight, DIY project, or tips that could make frugal living more do-able for someone else?

Creative savv is seeking new voices.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

share this post