Clearing out old Gift Cards

[Greg44]

I found several random gift cards with various balances left on them. Want to use them up this Spring/Summer...
Can gift the ones with $ 25.00 and use the rest. It seems like I forget to use them when I are out, but now that I
have the balances confirmed I will make a concerted effort to clear them all out. Does anyone else struggle with
Gift Cards floating around with balances?!

Nike $ 6.00, $ 25.00, $ 33.39
Old Navy $ 25.00
Olive Garden $ 6.00
Applebee's $ 25.00
Chipotle $ 0.95
Sonic Drive In $ 5.00

[happystuff]

I try to put a tiny piece of tape or post-it on each gift card with the balance written on it. They go into my wallet - which sometimes really makes it hard to open and close! That is my motivation to use them!

BTW - looks like you have enough Nike for a new pair of shoes!!!!

[ToomuchStuff]

I actually found one when cleaning out the "junk drawer", as the person that put it in there, used them as scrappers often.
I have one that has little more then a dollar on it (gas card). Generally I don't have an issue with that.

[rosarugosa]

Happy: you can also write the balance on the card with a Sharpie. I saw someone else do this once, and I adopted the practice.

[happystuff]

Happy: you can also write the balance on the card with a Sharpie. I saw someone else do this once, and I adopted the practice.

Thanks. I wonder if the old amount easily wipes off to write the new amount on? Would hate to have a scribbled up gc. LOL

[Tybee]

I wrap mine in the receipt and keep it in the car. A rubber band around it would be even better.

[KayLR]

yes, I have a Barnes and Noble one I wonder if I will ever use. It has $25 on it.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks. I wonder if the old amount easily wipes off to write the new amount on? Would hate to have a scribbled up gc. LOL

I do cross out and write the new amount. It doesn't have to be pretty, just legible. I don't often have one large enough to have multiple transactions.

[jp1]

My problem is that I don't often frequent any of the places for which I have gift cards. I have starbucks and Panera bread and costco gift cards and honestly the only chain places I regularly go to are Safeway and Taco Bell. I keep a simple wallet so I'm not going to carry these cards around for years until they get used. Maybe I could download the Starbucks and Panera apps and put the cards in there electronically on the off chance that I one day find myself in one of their stores.

[catherine]

I have started a new policy of using the gift cards I get as soon as possible. Others, I forget I have them, or they sit around forever, or I lose them. If I have a gift card with a remaining balance, I write the balance on the card with a Sharpie marker. Or if it's a major credit card gift card I load it on to my Amazon account.

My brother is an amateur artist and he always gives me $50 gift cards for my birthday and Christmas, so I honor who he is by using them to buy art supplies.

[ToomuchStuff]

My problem is that I don't often frequent any of the places for which I have gift cards. I have starbucks and Panera bread and costco gift cards and honestly the only chain places I regularly go to are Safeway and Taco Bell. I keep a simple wallet so I'm not going to carry these cards around for years until they get used. Maybe I could download the Starbucks and Panera apps and put the cards in there electronically on the off chance that I one day find myself in one of their stores.


Tell me about it. Years ago, we used to get gift certificates for Xmas, and I had lots of AMC theater certificates, but didn't go to see movies. Over the years I ended up farming them out to my nieces as they grew up.
Would have much rather had the cash, from people who knew I didn't go to the movies.>8)

[Tradd]

Aside from the odd Visa gift card for something at work, I haven’t gotten gift cards much in recent years. I think the last one I got was for a local Middle Eastern restaurant I love for my birthday from a friend. I used it within a week.

[Tradd]

My problem is that I don't often frequent any of the places for which I have gift cards. I have starbucks and Panera bread and costco gift cards and honestly the only chain places I regularly go to are Safeway and Taco Bell. I keep a simple wallet so I'm not going to carry these cards around for years until they get used. Maybe I could download the Starbucks and Panera apps and put the cards in there electronically on the off chance that I one day find myself in one of their stores.

If you don’t want the Starbucks and Panera cards, give them away to people who will use them. Maybe SO has coworkers who would like them.