Run date: December 8, 2010

By Erin Peterson
CreditCards.com

Gift cards top the wish lists for nearly half of all Americans during the holiday season, but not everyone ends up thankful for them as some $30 billion never get used. But you don’t have to let that plastic languish in your kitchen drawer. You’ve got several smart options if you want to get some value out of the cards — even if you never buy a thing from the store that issued the card.
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2. Swap them for other cards. Both SwapaGift.com and Plastic Jungle offer the chance to exchange one gift card for another, although the process itself can be a bit clunky. Savvy users have also cashed in numerous low-value cards to get a single high-value card. In-store options are also a possibility, says Shelley Hunter, founder of Gift Card Girlfriend: Go to the issuing store and see if it has a display of other stores’ gift cards, then use the gift card you have to buy the gift card you really want. “I got a Babies R Us gift card that I couldn’t use, but I went to the store, where they had a gift card kiosk, and bought a Subway card. It required a trip to the store, but I was able to pick out something I knew that I would eventually use.” You can find gift card kiosks at grocery stores, drugstores and many big-box retailers.

3. Re-gift — wisely. A gift card that’s useless to you might be perfect for someone on your holiday list. But before you attach a bow, follow a few common-sense guidelines, says Hunter. “Take off the backer card it comes on if it’s been damaged, and make sure it hasn’t been partially used. Double-check to see that PIN information hasn’t been scratched off,” she says. “Make sure it looks new.”

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5. Think local. If you’ve got a gift card to a local restaurant or retailer that isn’t accepted by larger gift card sites, you may still want to call around to local schools or charitable organizations — many are happy to accept the donations. “They might bundle it into a package for an auction fundraiser, or use it to buy supplies to further their mission,” says Hunter.

6. Buy gifts for others. You may not be able to find the perfect present for yourself with a gift card, but you may be able to find just the thing for a relative, friend, or co-worker. “Think of it as a way to get a gift for somebody else,” says Hunter. “The bottom line is that you can buy somebody a present without using your own money, and that’s valuable.”

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