UPDATED 12/26/16:
If you're like most people, you probably received a gift card or two on Christmas morning.
Consumers receive more than 100 million new gift cards each holiday season. But if you're holding a few duds you may never redeem, there are some ways to unload them for cash.
In the mad rush of the holidays, many of us ended up not with clothing or books....but with a wallet full of gift cards.
That's fine if you like those stores or restaurants, but not so much if you'll never end up using them.
Kevin Rodriguez and his family end up shopping stores every January that they normally never would visit.
"It makes us go to those stores that we get them to, even if we really don't want to shop there" he said.
Easy Ways to Unload Them
But rather than buying what you really don't need....or letting the cards expire, why not trade in your unwanted gift cards?
Several apps and websites will buy your unwanted gift cards.
Sites with the best reviews for 2016 include:
Our partners at Consumer Reports Magazine found Gift Cards.com paid the most in the test survey they did.
Northern Kentucky shopping blogger Nedra McDaniel, meantime, loves Gift Card Granny because you can trade in your unwanted cards and at the same time buy cards other shoppers don't want.
"You can sell the cards you don't want, and buy gift cards you want at 30 percent off," she said.
And these sites work: I told Card Pool I had a 50 dollar Babies R Us gift card, and it offered my 40 bucks.
That may not be the best business deal, but it beats leaving that card unused forever.
And if you are in a charitable mood, you can donate unused gift cards. Most Goodwill and Salvation Army stores will take gift cards, so you help others and you don't waste your money.
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