Gift Card Exchange Sites: The Best Alternatives, Compared

"Gift card exchange" can mean two things: turning a card you won't use into cash, or buying discounted cards. This guide compares the main options fairly — what each does, what it costs you, and what you walk away with. We build FlipGift, so we'll be upfront about where a cash resale site or a kiosk is the better fit.

A note up front: FlipGift used to run a card-for-card swap. We retired it in July 2026 — trading codes between strangers can't be made safe, because the previous owner still knows the code (here's the full reasoning). FlipGift is now escrow-only: you sell a card's value without ever sharing the code.

Quick comparison

1. FlipGift — sell without sharing the code

FlipGift Escrow turns a card into cash without the number and PIN ever leaving you. You keep the card and use it to fulfil a real buyer's order; the buyer's money sits in escrow and is released to you on confirmed delivery. Typical net after our flat 2.5% fee (split with the buyer): 78–89% of face value — competitive with resale buyers, with zero risk of a "code was drained" dispute, because nobody but you ever sees the code.

• Best for: getting cash for a card you won't use, without exposing the code.
• Trade-off: it settles when a buyer order matches your store, not the instant you list.

Sell a card without sharing the code → or browse the live market.

2. Resale sites — cash, at a discount

If you want an instant offer and don't mind handing over the code, resale services pay a percentage of face value and keep the difference.

• CardCash — buys your card directly with an instant offer; pays by check, ACH, or PayPal. Advertises up to 92% of value, varying by brand.
• GiftCash — online buyer; advertises up to 93%; commonly pays via PayPal. Processing timelines vary.
• Raise — a marketplace where you list your card and set a (discounted) price; free to list, but Raise charges a seller commission when it sells, and you're paid only after a buyer purchases it.

Best for: speed. Trade-off: you accept a discount, hand over the code, and with Raise a commission and a wait for a buyer.

3. Coinstar and kiosks — instant, but lossy

Kiosks are the in-person option. Worth knowing: Coinstar discontinued its gift-card exchange kiosks in 2019 — today's Coinstar machines count coins and don't accept gift cards. A patchwork of independent kiosks still exists in some stores; they pay discounted cash on the spot for a limited set of brands.

• Read more: Coinstar gift card exchange, gift card exchange kiosks, and finding an exchange near you.
• Best for: instant in-person cash, if a kiosk is genuinely nearby. Trade-off: a trip, a cut taken, and limited brands.

4. Gift Card Granny — buy-only now

Gift Card Granny is still running, but it no longer lets you sell or exchange a card you own — per its help center, it "no longer serves as a gift card exchange, purchases gift cards from individuals, or lists businesses that buy gift cards." It's now for buying discounted cards and checking balances. If you're trying to offload a card, it's a dead end — see our Gift Card Granny alternative.

5. Cardpool — closed

Cardpool was a well-known exchange, but its parent company, Blackhawk Network, permanently shut it down in early 2021. It no longer buys or sells cards. If you landed here looking for it, see what to use instead of Cardpool.

How to choose

• Want the most money and the code never exposed? Sell through FlipGift Escrow — flat 2.5%, typical net 78–89%.
• Need cash this minute? Use a resale buyer (CardCash, GiftCash) or the Raise marketplace, and accept the discount plus handing over the code.
• Want it in person? An independent kiosk, if one's nearby — just expect a cut and few brands.

Sell a card through escrow on FlipGift →