Save money with gift cards

[Spiffster]

Thought I would point out a recent gift card score on eBay, I purchased a $100 GC for Target while eBay was running a $15 off $75 purchase. So I got the GC for 15% off. Then shipping was $3 but I recouped more than that in eBay bucks (~$4). The $87 was paid with my discover card, so thats another 1% back. Net after cash back is $83 for a $100 gift card... not too shabby. Seller was "GiftCardMall", so plenty reputable.

[disneysteve]

I purchased a $100 GC for Target while eBay was running a $15 off $75 purchase. So I got the GC for 15% off. Then shipping was $3 but I recouped more than that in eBay bucks (~$4).

I have never paid any attention to special deals on ebay. How do they work, like the $15 off $75 deal? Can anyone get that? Is it good on any ebay purchase? And what are eBay bucks?

[yupstrips]

Save money with gift cards

thanks for sharing this useful tips.

[DoreneHanson]

I kind of remember reading it in Google, but since now that you have mentioned it will surely apply it!

[disneysteve]

I like to bump up this thread now and then.

I get emails from a couple of the gift card resellers that I've dealt with advertising specials that they're running. Last week, there was a 6% offer on Speedway gas station cards. For some reason, it never occurred to me to look for gift cards to the gas stations. There is a Speedway station on the way to my office that I use pretty regularly as they typically have the lowest price around and they are never busy (unlike the Wawa right down the street which usually has the same price but is absolute chaos in the morning).

So I ordered a $100 Speedway card for $94. I got it yesterday and filled my tank today. The usual discount is about 3% but I'll definitely watch for those 6% specials and stock up in the future.

[DaveInPgh]

I like to bump up this thread now and then.

I get emails from a couple of the gift card resellers that I've dealt with advertising specials that they're running. Last week, there was a 6% offer on Speedway gas station cards. For some reason, it never occurred to me to look for gift cards to the gas stations. There is a Speedway station on the way to my office that I use pretty regularly as they typically have the lowest price around and they are never busy (unlike the Wawa right down the street which usually has the same price but is absolute chaos in the morning).

So I ordered a $100 Speedway card for $94. I got it yesterday and filled my tank today. The usual discount is about 3% but I'll definitely watch for those 6% specials and stock up in the future.

Thanks for bumping. It is a reminder that I need to start shopping for gift card deals again.

When I was buying on ebay, my required discount varied based on the store. Some I wouldn't touch unless it was over 15%. Gas cards were the ones with the smallest requirement, 5%. I could go weeks without visiting a favorite store or restaurant, but the gas station is a constant

[disneysteve]

I could go weeks without visiting a favorite store or restaurant, but the gas station is a constant

The two that I buy regularly are Target and JoAnn Fabric. Anything else is just hit or miss if we are planning on some major purchase or know we're going to be going somewhere. For example, before we bought our refrigerator, I bought $1,000 worth of Lowe's cards.

[Jluke]

Pet Smart - 19% discount is my favorite.

I just bought $150 of stuff at Lowe's over the weekend, but I didn't have any discounted gift cards - poor planning.

[DaveInPgh]

All of the gift cards I do have right now were purchased at Rite Aid. One of their Plenti Card deals. Sometimes their deals are as good as 20%. Buffalo Wild Wings is my favorite that I have got from Rite Aid

[msomnipotent]

I got $100 worth of Olive Garden for $77 not too long ago. I used to stock up on the pet and home related cards, but I'm getting a lot of attitude and restrictions. I was told at both Lowes and Home Depot that I couldn't use the cards, which were over $1,000 each. I nearly fainted and had to talk to two different managers until they realized the cards I had were not the cards they were denying. I also get a lot of snarky attitude at Petco. The last time I shopped there, I was told they were doing me a favor by taking the card because they are supposed to be non-transferable. They all seem to be related to merchandise credits, and you can't really tell if you are buying a gift card or merchandise credit online.

[disneysteve]

I was told they were doing me a favor by taking the card because they are supposed to be non-transferable.

I've never had any trouble using the cards I've bought. If they ever get denied, I'd be raising hell with the company I got them from. Most have a guarantee for 60 days or so. It's always a good idea to try to use them within that time period.

[phantom]

The last time I shopped there, I was told they were doing me a favor by taking the card because they are supposed to be non-transferable. They all seem to be related to merchandise credits, and you can't really tell if you are buying a gift card or merchandise credit online.

The problem with merchandise credits is that there's a big fraud risk with them. As I understand it, people can buy merchandise with stollen credit cards, return the merchandise for store credit, and offload the merchandise credits to card resellers. It's a tricky thing to deal with, especially when the credits change hands a bunch of times before someone tries to use them. A good card reseller will work with you if you run into problems with this sort of thing. But, they're constantly on guard for fraud from every direction too, and sometimes that gets in the way of good customer service.

[GoodSteward]

I wish I had seen this before buying the washing machine. Btw, can you use a credit card to buy these or does that count as "cash" and show up as a cash advance? I assume it is just a product, but I like to be careful. I was misled about someone once, and I had to pay a cash advance fee and interest. I wasn't happy.

[disneysteve]

Btw, can you use a credit card to buy these or does that count as "cash" and show up as a cash advance?

You pay by credit card and it counts as a regular purchase, not a cash advance, so you still get your reward points.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Good reminder. It helped me this evening when I was preparing to make an LLBean purchase. Found a gift card for 17.5% off. Yes, used a cash-back credit card to buy it.

Now, does LLBean still send a $10 GC after you make a purchase? They did that years ago.