Friday, January 2, 2015

Coinstar Exchange :: Get CASH for Your Unused Gift Cards


This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Coinstar. All opinions are 100% my own.


By now you've heard of Coinstar and their grocery store kiosks that turn your spare change into cash or no-fee eCertificates. But what about those gift cards laying around that are simply of no use to you?

Did you get a gift card or two this holiday season that is for a retailer your don't shop at? Enter Coinstar Exchange, an easy solution that will take your unused or partially used gift cards (minimum value of $20), and give you a cash offer on the spot. These new, bright yellow Coinstar Exchange kiosks are now available in select markets and they accept gifts cards from over 150 stores and restaurants.

Boost Your Budget
With the new year upon us, get a fresh start with a little more cash in your budget with Coinstar Exchange. Stores are filled with products to help you organize your home and reach your health and fitness goals in the year ahead, so it's the perfect time to exchange those useless gift cards that will just clutter your wallet or junk drawer in the near future. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have some extra cash than a little card that's likely to get lost!

After scanning your gift card, the Coinstar Exchange kiosk will give you a cash offer. Payout rates do vary by retailer. Upon verifying your identity and taking your gift cards, the kiosk will print your cash voucher for you to redeem at customer service for cash. It was a very simple process and I was able to cash in two gift cards in the same transaction.

Stop Throwing Away Money
Coinstar's recent survey in October 2014 reveals that 58% of Americans have at least one gift card in their possession - perhaps lying around for quite some time before being used, or even lost! In fact, 48% of Americans say that when they receive gift cards they wait to use them, or never use them at all.

I'm sure many of you can relate to most other Americans that have a gift card or two hanging around in their wallet, especially with the holidays very recently behind us. Several weeks ago as I was organizing our new baby's catch-all closet, I came across an REI gift card at the bottom of a bunch of old paperwork. I almost tossed it but thought, why on earth would I have kept it if it were used? So, Hubby called the number on the card and we learned it had $23.xx on it. I remember receiving that gift card over three years ago! 

Hubby went out and spent it, but this is just a great example of where using a Coinstar Exchange kiosk (had they been around back then) would have been smart. I nearly threw away a gift card - that's just like throwing away cold hard cash! Instead of resorting to stashing unused gift cards, either make an effort to spend them right away, or take them to a Coinstar Exchange kiosk for cash.

Learn more at Coinstar.com/holiday and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

I have not heard of the exchange but what a fantastic idea! I have quite a few gift cards from our of state family/friends that I can't use (stores aren't in the area or don't shop there.) What a great way to "recycle." I will be watching for these. Thanks!

Literary Winner said...

I'm so excited to see something like this! I worry about using the sites online to sell my gift cards. This way I know I'm dealing with a reputable company.

Crystal said...

Oh, that's awesome! Will definitely keep this in mind in case I end up with a gift card I probably won't use!

tm said...

I need to find a Coinstar to sell some gift cards. This is an awesome idea.

valmg @ Mom Knows It All said...

I've heard of Coinstar, hubby uses it all the time. I hadn't heard of this particular machine though.

Kelly O said...

This is a very cool program. I heard Walmart was doing it too. What a great option for people that do not shop at certain retailers.

mmstarla said...

This is so awesome and I wish I would of learned of this sooner. I have been guilty of losing giftcards and I always get so frustrated. I will def have to keep this in mind now! xo

Rebecca Swenor said...

This sounds like an amazing idea indeed. We don't have one of these around here and I wish we did for sure. Thanks for sharing.

Ashley B. said...

Such a great idea! I didn't know these Coinstar Exchange Kiosks existed!

mai tran said...

This is the greatest machine ever! I wish we'd have it here in my country soon.

Ashley-Raye said...

I've used the coinstar machines for change, but I didn't know they did this gift card exchange thing! So cool!

Jasmine P said...

I didn't know about this! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

This is awesome! I didn't know about this. I've used coin star for change but I never knew they had ones for gift cards too.

Unknown said...

I have a feeling I have some gift cards hiding around here that need to find their way to this! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for one.

Beth R said...

I haven't ever heard of this before. There are definitely times that I could use this! Thanks

Unknown said...

what a cool idea!

James Robert said...

Glad I read this, I had no idea about this until now and probably wouldn't have known about it. Thanks for sharing this

barniebad said...

I have passed by a Coinstar Exchange so many times at the Grocery store and never gave it another thought. Thanks to the blog article I realize that I could have turned in my gift cards for real cash. I have gift cards that have less than a $10 balance on them and thought I would never use them again. Thanks for tips on how I can put them all together and get something I want.

Bianca Munoz said...

Very interesting! We have used the regular CoinStar and the recycle cellphone machine things. But I havent see or heard of this one. Thanks for sharing :)

JewelWood said...

I have taken my loose change to Coinstar and I thought it was so great to get back money instantly! Great way to get rid of gift cards! I have done it!

lil_lady_dz said...

This is so cool, better then listing online and having to wait for it to sell, I wish they would put one in our area, love this.

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea to get some extra sepnding money

JOE GERSCH

joebissy at mail dot com