How to let go of gift card guilt
Once in a blue moon, the gift gods bless you. Filled with hope, you open up an envelope, and out falls a tiny plastic card that you can take and spend anywhere. After you check the gift card balance, pay those VISA gift card fees (yes, they actually charge you for your free money), you can finally secure that coveted tie-dye sweatshirt from your fave Instagram influencer. Life is good again.
And then there’s the more likely scenario...
You notice the office intern frantically asking everyone to sign your last-minute birthday card, and you’re presented with a gift card to the generic chain restaurant around the corner. The cherry on top? It’s taped onto the company’s “we appreciate your business” stationary. And they wonder why millennials aren’t loyal...
Don’t let a thoughtless gift ruin your day. Check the gift card balance, and get cash for gift cards instead.
Wondering who’s going to buy a gift card from the cafe downstairs? Don’t give it a second thought. You may have had one-too-many stale doughnuts when you’re desperate, but trust us, there’s someone out there who can’t get enough of the stuff they swear is ‘coffee’.
And if you’re worried that selling your gift card means you’re an ungrateful employee, let us reassure you: you’re not. Here are just a few scenarios where even if the gift card comes up, you’re way better off getting cash for it.
Let’s review:
Unlikely scenario 2: Your boss needs a coffee STAT, and doesn’t have her wallet.
While this one might be more likely to happen, remember: your boss would never drink the “they call this coffee?” from the place next door. That means you’re left digging into your savings to pay for her eight dollar, oat milk frappe-whatever. Don’t have the money laying around? Should have sold that gift card...
Unlikely scenario 3: You’re hungry, and don’t have time for anything else.
The most likely of scenarios, and the one you dread the most. You can’t fathom biting into another stale turkey wrap, but time is tight (and so is your budget), so you really have no choice, right? Wrong. If you took a quick minute to check the gift card balance, you would have noticed that the intern sort of likes you! Your gift card was $100, meaning you could have typed in “buy my gift cards” and quickly sold it, bought yourself some groceries, or even better, treated yourself to the smoothie bar next door for an entire week. But alas, you’re stuck in line with Bob from accounting, buying lukewarm coffee and a day-old wrap. Oh, what could have been...
By now, you must be feeling better about the option of getting cash for gift cards, which is why we’ve made it easy for you to do just that. Simply take your unused gift card, type in a few details, and trade ‘em in for cash. It’s that easy.
See you in the smoothie line!
